Legend of the Otherworld - HIATUS (Slow updates)
by Mateko
Summary: Otherworld tells the story of Po and The Five facing one of the hardest challenges. They'll need to train hard to fix the mistake made by their ancestors, to unlock new powers and to make new allies in order to protect their world and the entire universe. Takes place after the third movie (New Chi abilities). Cover Image made by Peace-On, best artist on tumblr.
1. A legend come true Prologue 1

**This work contains elements from LOA, shorts and the trilogy. It doesn't take anything from LOA besides the characters they introduced and some of his lore. It also contains a good level of violence, blood and a low level of romance. There aren't offensive elements such as language, but later on, in the story, you may find an oc who does. It will still be a low level, nothing excessive.**

 **In this work there's a "special thing" that you'll discover from the first page already. A lot of people don't like the idea but I encourage you to reach AT LEAST the end of fourth page to decide if you want to keep going or not. Please put your trust in me and if you'll decide to stop I'll know you tried. Thanks for reading and enjoy the story.**

* * *

 _Legend of the Otherworld - Prologue 1 - **A legend come true**_

On Earth, there is no heaven. However, there are pieces of it. If you would spare a moment, we will take a peek at a rather special place.

The rays of light fluttered and danced as they make their way to the land below. The blazing sun shined brightly upon this town, so comfortably nestled among such tall intimidating mountains, and built upon a fertile valley. The residents who moved between the buildings, from the smallest of mice to the heftiest of rhinos, seem to radiate with abundant energy. Everywhere we look, fragile cubs giggle and coo, mischievous little ones laugh and play, diligent grown-up animals shout and work, and the wise elderly share their many tales of life.

It's quite easy to see how this town earned its name, the Valley of Peace. As this flow of serenity flourishes around us, it really is difficult to imagine the destruction that took place not too long ago. This destruction still affects the town to this day, but still, the residents cope, taking on an image of peace.

Several months have passed since the defeat of the latest threat to the Valley of Peace. A spirit warrior by the name of Kai tore his way through the valley with his personal army of jade in search of power and vengeance. With the combined might and wit of the town's protectors, the menace was led away and defeated, and with him, an end was put to the spirit warrior's schemes.

However, his defeat did not immediately usher in peace for all. Ornate towers and humble stores were equally gifted with chipped stones and split wood. While they had been mostly spared, the renowned Jade Palace, the valley's greatest structure, was unrecognizable.

Polished jade shattered, aged wood was burnt, and forged metal was twisted. The innumerable scrolls and artifacts stored within were not spared either, leading to many centuries' worth of knowledge being lost.

The once historic building, which served as a temple, a school, and a home for the students and masters who resided within, was devastated.

When greeted with such a sight, the Dragon Warrior, the Furious Five, and Grandmaster Shifu vowed to resurrect their home. Soon they were joined by craft workers from all walks of life who worked alongside each other, and the masters, to rebuild and restore the Jade Palace to its former glory. It truly was a moving sight to behold.

Within this period of hustle and bustle, and to the shock of them all, Shifu spoke out his wish of retiring to his students. Whenever asked for a reason, the old Grandmaster would simply fold his ears back and say, "It was time." Nevertheless, Shifu, after retiring from teaching, often spent the day meditating.

Po, now grand master of the Jade Palace, dedicated himself fully to the training of the Furious Five that usually ended in the afternoon. The trend followed to this day.

"And that's all you need to know for today," wearily stated the panda. "You're all free to go now." The teacher and students bowed respectfully to one another before Po quietly walked outside.

The Five exited the training hall at a slower pace and prepared to go on with their separate agendas for the remainder of the day. However, with troubled thoughts on her mind, Viper brushed against Tigress. The gesture caught the tiger's attention and slowed the pair even further.

"There's something I need to tell you" Viper said, worry evident in her voice.

This made the tiger's ears perk in interest at the sullen tone of the normally optimistic reptile. "Is something wrong?"

"It's about Po…" She sucked in a deep breath before continuing. "Did you see his face? He's so tired; I don't know how much more he can take of this lifestyle."

"He's just taking his duty seriously. It's normal to be tired with all the effort he's putting in," Tigress stated with a tinge of pride in her tone. She truly was proud of the Po's resolve and effort to become an acceptable teacher for his comrades. Though she would not admit it, the panda's ingenuity would change even the dullest of lessons into intriguing challenges.

"Don't you think it's too much?" Viper's tone hardened. "He has to teach, take care of his dads and protect the valley! He's pushing himself so hard… One person can only handle so much."

Tigress mused over her statement for a moment. She admitted to herself that, over the months, the panda had done so much for the valley: battling Kai in a realm beyond their own, assisting the builders in every way possible, and even establishing a safe trading route from the pandas' mountainous village to the Valley of Peace. Whenever a memory popped up, Po was somehow intertwined. With a nod of acknowledgement, she replied, "You're right... but we shouldn't interfere. He has to understand this alone."

"I get what you mean, but would be nice to offer him a little push towards it." Viper motioned towards the feline with her tail, "Talk to him about it, maybe not directly if you think that's not fair to decide for him."

"Me?" She questioned, surprised, "I thought you were going to do it."

"We both know who the closest one is." A smile followed soon after the sentence left Viper's lips, "I'm sure only you can help him right now!"

Tigress blinked at her, "What is that supposed to mean? Am I different in his eyes?"

Viper giggled, "Yeah, I wonder how many times he shouted at us that you're his favorite, role model and inspiration for his Kung-Fu passion." Viper whipped away before the tiger could answer. Not that she could, considering the panda was rarely ever discreet with his care, especially around the Five.

Tigress wandered into the hallway in search of Po when she nearly bumped into Master Shifu, deep in thought of what Viper asked her to do earlier.

"Forgive me, Master. I was lost in thought," she apologized and made an attempt at a quick retreat.

Shifu easily noticed something was troubling her and couldn't stop the question from escaping his mouth. "Is something wrong, Tigress?"

"No, I'm just looking for Po. There's something I must tell him, but I don't know where is he." Her ears twitched uneasily as she tried to not confess the entire truth.

"Whatever the problem is, you should tell me," Shifu stated reassuringly.

"I feel like Po's getting consumed by the weight of his duties." She relented.

Shifu understood, "Do you think he's overloading himself?"

Tigress didn't know what to say. Despite knowing the events of previous months tolling on the panda, she couldn't say he was faltering in any of his responsibilities. "I'm conflicted. If he wants to commit to his duties, who am I to stop him?"

"Tigress…" The red panda smiled, noticing how much she cared for him, "I can teach again if Po is not able to do so." Shifu affirmed. "I understand the increasing pressure he's been bearing for far too long, but I cannot make decisions for him. Asking for help is often a hard lesson to remember."

Shifu grinned as he shared his wisdom with her daughter and then he walked away.

* * *

Continuing her search for Po, she found her paws carrying her to the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. With steps as quiet as a whisper, she was just able to stop a chuckle at the sight in front of her.

She moved closer and asked, "Po, what are you doing?"

"Eh, uh, wha…?" Po mumbled before shifting around. "N-Nothing! Why are you asking?" he added with an awkward noise.

Tigress came close enough to see that Po was just rousing himself from his nap against the tree with a few slobbered peaches in his mouth. She had to try rather hard to smother her smile.

"Everyone knows that you come here only for eating… and stress-relieving," Tigress added without mentioning both activities were basically one and the same.

"What? Everyone?!" he all but yelled. "But only Oogway saw me… and Shifu." His words trailed off as embarrassment started to sink in.

"It's not so hard to imagine." Tigress sat next to him.

Po felt the awkward silence and made an attempt at alleviating it. He tapped his claws together and began to speak, drawing out his mutterings. "So, umm—–"

"I've wanted to ask you something," she interrupted. A serious glint entered her green eyes.

"Sure?" Po's head tilted at the statement, wondering what the feline could want.

"How do you feel?"

"I-I don't understand… What do you mean?" As his head tilted further, it became obvious he didn't expect a question like that.

"In the past you didn't have so many duties to attend to. You had some space for yourself, time to relax and breathe, but now you're being crushed by your responsibilities, trying to meet everyone's expectations", Tigress stated, her gaze locked on Po, "How do you feel about this? Is that alright?"

A twitch barely crossed Po's features before it faded, but Tigress' eyes caught the movement. She too had to smother her own burning ire at the subject. During the months rebuilding the Valley of Peace, incidents of raiding had increased dramatically. Apparently, plenty of bandits got the notion of thinking that the protectors of the Valley were not doing their jobs right, and were overly eager to capitalize on the opportunity. They were slowly but surely realizing just how wrong they were.

"I'm not bothered. I'm happy to help the people I love, like you." Po smiled, but even so, the feline's keen eyes could pick out the bags under his eyes that weren't present before. The black patches of fur around Po's eyes were even darker than usual. Anyone else besides the Five and Shifu probably would not be able to notice, but Tigress knew Po. His appearance looked miserable.

"I knew you would say that," Tigress muttered. Her tail lashed behind her as her voice rose, growing harsher until the end. "You can't care only about the others. You can't help others if you don't take care of yourself!" Finally, Po would notice Tigress was worried about his health.

"I'm fine, Tigress! I was born ready to do this!" His voice rose, trying his best to appear fine. Whether trying to reassure her or himself even he didn't know.

"Po…" She didn't need to say more while she watched Po deflate before her.

The panda felt like she was staring deep inside his soul, as if she would read him like an open book and all of his lies just crumbled one after another. He felt powerless, incapable of holding up his charade, "I… well… it's not like… " Po stopped and sighed, "I suppose you're right, but everyone counts on me and I don't want to let them down you know, I won't let them down."

Knowing she could do little to advance the conversation or alleviate her friend's worries, Tigress remembered her earlier talk with Shifu. "Shifu told me he can teach again," revealed as she moved to stand over the downtrodden panda. Maybe the thought of shifting teachers would help him.

"Really? Did he say that to you? Why?" He widened his jade eyes in confusion, "I don't understand I believe he didn't want to do it anymore."

She smiled, seeing a bright light of hope in his eyes, "I don't know anything. Stand up and go to him, I'm sure he will understand you." Tigress stood up, satisfied of her good job, "Don't hesitate to open up to us, we want the best for you, just like you want the same for us."

* * *

In another part of the temple grounds, Shifu was meditating inside his room. The soft mantra whispered from his mouth halted when a familiar voice from nowhere called out to him.

"Shifu…" The voice echoed in the little room he was in. "Can you hear me?"

The red panda became startled when the voice became clearer. "It can't be…" He mumbled to himself, "Master Oogway, is that you?" he asked, clearing his throat.

"It's been a while… my friend." His voice seemed to ring out everywhere around him.

"It's such an honor to see, I mean, talk to you again." Shifu was a little disoriented to talk with a voice that seemed to be everywhere. "Wait... Is something dangerous coming?" He rose an eyebrow, Oogway always carried bad news with him.

Oogway chuckled from that sentence, trying to calm his old friend. "There is no need to worry."

"Forgive my arrogance, Master, but I don't believe you would callout to me from the Spirit Realm, just to ask me how I'm doing."

"That is, indeed, a good guess Shifu." He replied with his slow pace, "It is such a delight to talk with you again old friend, I actually missed your pithy remarks."

A nostalgic vibe filled the area, "What's the reason of your visit then?"

"I lost count of how many legends I told you back in the day, but there is one in particular that your mind must remember right now", He paused for a bit, "Legend of the Otherworld."

Mixed feelings awakened in him, "It… wasn't just a silly story you told me?" The huge amount of information that simple sentence caused him to generate almost froze him in place.

"With time, ancient histories become legends… But that does not mean every single grain of truth is necessarily lost," replied the wise tortoise.

"Why am I not surprised on how casually you're telling me this?" Shifu muttered, exhausted, "What should I do? Please, Master, I need your advice." He humbly bowed, knowing that he, more than everyone else, had an idea of what the next move should've been.

"I must apologize, Shifu. This is all I can do." The tortoise's voice grew fainter throughout the sentence, "I've been breaking the rules for so long that I can't do more than this…"

"I… will do my best, Master." He replied with an accent of sadness for the departure of his long lost friend.

"I believe in you and in your students. I trust that you will be able to prevent a disaster." Before the voice disappeared, something soft brushed against the red panda's cheek. As he reached out, a small pink petal landed delicately in his paw.

Without a moment to spare, Shifu heard someone knocking at his door, "Shifu! You in there?"

"Yes, Po. You can co-"

"SHIFU!" He yelled, barging in, worry was written all over his face.

Shifu stared at him perplexed, "Did something happen? You look horrible…"

"I've been calling you for minutes now, you weren't replying and the door wasn't opening so I was-"

The red panda, overwhelmed by his monologue, raised his paw and waited until he calmed down.

"Yes, ok. I think I understand what's going on. There is no need to worry though. As you can see I'm completely fine, nothing happened to me."

"That's a relief…" The panda breathed out, "Can we talk? I must confess something."

"Confess?" He repeated, thinking about the worst case scenario, "What did you break this time?"

"Wha- no, I wasn't referring to that kind of confession! I didn't touch anything…"

"That's good to hear. Before you start rambling about whatever the problem is I need you to do something for me first."

"Oh, alright…"

"Please gather everyone at the scroll room, I have an important matter going on and you and the Five must listen to it." After saying that he slowly walked out, "I'll meet you there."

* * *

Po did as Shifu asked. Everyone seemed confused by the unusual call when he did.

"What's the problem?" Mantis asked from his perch atop Monkey.

"Did Po quit from teaching?" the simian added.

Mantis' tone grew worried. "Damn it! I can't lose that bet."

"What?! What bet!?" interjected Viper, upset to hear something like that.

"Mantis, it's not that hard to keep your mouth shut," Monkey scolded.

"Oops, my mouth moved on its own."

"Enough! Now, I need your help." Shifu commanded their attention with his tone. "Oogway used to keep here a lot of secrets… Some of them are hidden from me too. What I want to ask you is to unleash your chi through the entire room."

"It's an odd request," Tigress commented, attempting to find an explanation. "Will doing this generate a reaction?"

Shifu nodded. "That is what I'm hoping for."

The six of them did what Shifu requested. Between the huge piles of scrolls, one of them started to shine. Crane flew towards it, grabbed it, and dropped it in Shifu's hands.

"Interesting," Shifu exclaimed. Opening the scroll to a blank page, he turned the hidden contents of the scroll visible with his own Chi. "Normally, this scroll is blank."

Po couldn't help but be excited at the prospect of hidden Kung Fu lore. "This is so cool! Can I touch it?! Read it?! Smell it?!"

"Why is this scroll so important to you?" Tigress questioned her master, worried about the content.

"We will find out soon." Shifu turned and began to read the scroll aloud: "Long time ago our ancestors discovered the existence of countless worlds and dimensions unknown to them. They studied a method to break the natural order and allow themselves to travel back and forth as they pleased.

They discovered the Void. A place that connected these dimensions to one another. It was an empty place filled with nothing but darkness, their dream seemed to be closer than ever. When they succeeded a terrible curse unleashed upon them, swallowing everything in its way. They gave up on their lives and used them to fix their mistake.

The natural order is not stable anymore, their sacrifice wasn't enough and one day it will collapse once again. One world in particular will crack first; it is filled with a lone sentient species called human and the results of this will be unpredictable.

It is said that the ones who can endure the curse are special and hide a powerful secret inside within. These survivors will be thrown inside our world and it is our mission to protect them, train them and then fix what the ancestors couldn't do hundreds of years ago once and for all."

"What about the curse? Does it say what it does?" Po asked, peeking on the scroll.

"No, it doesn't. The scroll is vague and we didn't learn much." Shifu sighed, closing it.

"Perfect. Now we know everything about the end of the world but we don't know when and how!" Mantis commented sarcastically.

"Is that everything? I feel like it's incomplete. What about these humans the scroll talks about? What are they?" Viper asked questions none of them could answer yet.

Skimming through the text, Shifu found a diagram sketched inside the scroll. The diagram itself was small but drawn with incredible care. Its familiar shape jumped out at the old master when he made the discovery. "There is a hidden room inside the training hall?!" he exclaimed, surprised.

"More secrets to find out! This is so awesome!" Po cried out before sprinting out of sight towards the training hall.

Everyone else followed Po towards the training room. Immediately, the large panda began looking and running around the entire room, trying to find the hidden door. He looked everywhere, but he couldn't find anything.

"Po, you will not find anything searching like that," Shifu called him back. "You must use your chi," he reminded the overly-eager pupil. The assembled masters then fanned out in their search.

Before long, Mantis called from the other side of the room to get everyone's attention. "I think I found something here!"

"This is a trapdoor!" Viper exclaimed excitedly. "I'll grab a lantern!" A flick of her body sent her away. She quickly returned with said lantern already lit and curled around her tail.

"These stairs will lead us to the secret room. Give me the lantern, I'll light the way." Shifu picked up the lantern and ventured forward. The somewhat cramped stairway made the taller masters hunch down to make their way.

"I hate stairs…" Po sighed. "Why are the coolest things always related to stairs?!"

"Excuse me, but what things are related to stairs?" Crane asked curiously.

"Well, think about it; the huge stairs between the Jade Palace and the rest of the village... The staircase in the Tower of Flame... You don't know how lucky you are that you can fly! It's got to be the most comfortable thing in the world!"

They arrived at the end of the hallway only to find a small empty room blanketed in a veil of dust. The only things inside was a mirror propped against a wall and a scroll beside it. The emptiness of what was supposedly an important room made most of the masters tense in preparation of a trap… the key word being "most."

As soon as Po saw the mirror, he picked it up and inspected it.

"Po, what are you doing?! Put it down!" Tigress scolded, chastising him for touching everything without thinking first.

"It's just a normal mirror, Tigress! There's nothing special about it." He swiped off some dust from it and tossed it to Monkey obliviously, dislodging the rest of the dust right into the simian's nose.

"Hey! Watch where you put that thing!" Monkey snapped, clutching the mirror and doing his best to hold back a sneeze.

Shifu picked up the second scroll and started to read this one too. "'Shifu, I hid this mirror within this secret room because it's extremely important—-'"

When Po heard these words, he finally understood how precious it was even if he didn't know for what purpose. With its reflective gleam and dull frame, it truly looked like any other mirror. The mirror was then reexamined with a more critical eye while Shifu continued to read:

"'—–It will help the falling humans and lead them to you. When the time comes, inject your chi inside of it.'"

"When will the right moment be?!" Mantis asked, stressed. "Why can't anybody clearly say when something important is going to happen?! We can't predict how and when!"

"When the time comes," Shifu voiced calmly as he motioned Monkey for the mirror. "I'll continue to meditate with the mirror close by. When I sense anything, we'll have to be prepared."

Heading for the exit of the room, the older master was followed closely by Po, who seemed to be finally ready to tell Shifu the truth. However, he was hesitant, shown by the wringing of his paws as he worried over what his master's reaction would be. "Shifu, I need to tell you something about the teacher stuff..."

"Oh… yes. About that, Po, you will be relieved of your teaching duties."

"I can't—–" Po was about to speak, then realized he just heard the same thing he was about to announce, causing his heart to skip a beat. "What? I mean, why?"

"I know you are doing rather well, but right now this situation is far more important. All of you get some sleep and restore your energy. If you must train, do so with moderation." After that, Shifu left that room and, most likely, would return to his meditation.

"Wait… This means I lost the bet?!" Monkey screamed.

Mantis excitedly exclaimed, "Po didn't quit, so I won! You owe me some yuan!"

"I can't believe it… I was so sure about that," he dejectedly sighed while they all made their way back upstairs.


	2. Tigress's dilemma Prologue 2

**If you're interested in the characters you'll find fanarts and drawings of almost every OCs inside my DeviantArt account. (I can't put Urls here, so you'll have to look for them writing "Matekok" on that site.)**

* * *

After Shifu's warning, the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five spent several days training inside the training hall for the designated day the humans would come through the mirror. They didn't want to be too far from the Jade Palace just in case something happened, spending most of their time talking to each other when taking a break from their daily training.

"Guys, I was wondering…" Po said, "...what do you think they look like?" His tone increased in volume when he finished his question, he wanted to know. "Try to paint more of a picture. What color is their fur or skin or eyes? Blue? Peach? RAINBOW?"

Mantis simply replied, "I want to see something different. You know… Some aliens."

"Ferocious demons or majestic giants!" Monkey chimed in.

"The scroll says that these humans have some incredible powers… So, I was thinking about something huge," Crane stated.

"Yeah! Maybe they are already here, watching us from afar," teased Monkey, trying to scare them.

"MONKEY! YOU'RE RIGHT!" Po shouted. "WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR EYES OPEN!" He opened his eyes wider with his paws. He swivelled around in a circle, looking around as if the strange beings might appear right in front of him.

"Po… Without our Chi, they can't come here," Tigress explained as calmly as she could manage.

"That's what they want to make us believe!" Po cried out. He continued to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. The panda looked even more silly than he did cautious.

"Po, we are training for that reason," Viper replied kindly, but her tone became worried. "Did you forget?"

The panda gave up, disappointed that the Five were being too serious to catch his joke. He tried to make them smile, but they thought he was serious. "No… I didn't." He sighed.

Elsewhere, Shifu's ears twitched several times. He was unable to find balance in meditation as if he couldn't find peace. His eyes snapped open. The red panda felt something new, something he had never sensed before. It was a strange sensation... One that he couldn't tell if it was bad or good. He abruptly got to his feet and went outside to gather his students.

"It's time," Shifu said as soon as he entered the training hall.

Tigress nodded. "I'll go get the mirror." She entered and exited from that secret passage as fast as she could, knowing how important it was. The feline handed over the mirror to her old master, but no one dared to step too close in case something dangerous might happen.

The Five shared a wary glance as Shifu set the mirror in the middle of the room. He hesitated for only a moment before turning to instruct them in the only way he knew how. "Now, as we all learned to give Chi to someone else. Focus on the mirror and think of it as a wounded person you need to heal."

"Yes, master," they replied.

Six golden rays met at the very center of the mirror. It started to float when the warriors paused to give more Chi. It suddenly turned normal, like something went wrong, and fell. The red panda caught it hoping nothing bad happened. The Five and the Dragon Warrior looked at each other confused about what precisely had happened. Po turned around, trying to spot any difference inside the room, but everything seemed normal as it always was. Shifu stares at the mirror, but it looked the same as before. With a frown, he lowered it gently.

"Did it work?" Viper questioned out of confusion. She was expecting a better reaction from it.

Before the serpent could receive an answer, the ground began to shake. Tigress bent low but otherwise kept her balance perfectly. Po stumbled, falling down with a shout, Monkey and Crane grabbed the closest thing next to them so not to end up like the panda. Viper and Mantis didn't need to do anything; they just waited until it passed. Twenty seconds felt like an eternity for them.

"What... just happened…?" Po asked, frightened, thinking they did something they shouldn't have done.

"So what now?" Mantis questioned. They couldn't just stand there and wait for something else to happen.

Tigress rubbed her chin. "I can't tell if there is a correct way to do this, but something definitely happened. The earthquake was the proof we needed."

Po pointed at the mirror. "Then we should watch it and wait. The humans we talked about must come out of it."

Crane narrowed his eyes while approaching it. "Isn't it too small?" It would be too small to even accommodate the average animal size.

Monkey saw the opportunity for a joke. "Crane's right! We talked about giants and majestic creatures!" He giggled. "There's no way they would be able to use that tiny piece of glass!"

Shifu's eyes widened, finding the answer in that terrible pun. "He's right."

Monkey's own eyes widened. He couldn't believe Shifu actually agreed with him. "Who? Me?"

Crane raised a brow. "I don't think Monkey actually meant―"

"It doesn't matter," the red panda cut in. "You have to search all over the village to find them."

"That means we have to split up, right?" Po questioned even though he knew the answer.

"I'm sorry Po, but I believe the mirror only guided them to be able to find us. That means they may open some sort of portal in the middle of the city. Not knowing their forms will bring chaos and panic among the citizens," he explained, beating his staff on the ground. "Now go before things get worse."

They bowed and ran outside, but before they could sprint away, Mantis held out his pinchers wide. "WAIT!" Mantis shouted before the group could divide. Everyone skidded to a stop right on the edge of the thousand steps. "I-I don't know where should I look, or what they look like. How am I supposed to find them?!"

Viper reassured him, "Anything you find odd or out-of-place, go and check it out. That's more or less what we will do now."

"Bring them back to the palace once you find them." Tigress then specified, "At any cost."

They all nodded and parted ways in the village as soon as they raced down the countless stairs dividing the Jade Palace from the village.

* * *

Po, wandered around the village, thinking of how he should've started a search with no clues.

"Good morning, Dragon Warrior!" A pig greeted him.

He shyly replied, waving his paw and moving past him. The panda tried to put himself in the human's place, trying to imagine the perfect hiding spot for creatures who didn't belong in the city, but everything seemed normal, just like every other day.

Po stopped in front of his father's restaurant. His stomach growled. This important mission forced him to skip breakfast and with such a pain inside his belly, he wasn't going to focus at all. The bear gave into his hunger and decided to visit them, eat something and then resume his task.

"Hey, son! Glad you're here!" Li Shan proclaimed while handing over some dishes to the customers.

Po wasn't quite used to seeing his biological father working here yet. When he told Li Shan how he belonged in the Valley of Peace after defeating Kai, his dad simply smiled, packed his stuff and declared, "Alright, time to move in!" He got used to his new life under Mr. Ping as a waiter pretty quickly.

"Po! You finally came!" Said Ping joyfully, dragging him inside.

"What…" He didn't remember being expected to stop by here. The panda warrior frowned, looking around for some clues.

Ping joyfully tapped his wing feathers together. As soon as he saw his son, he became as bubbly as ever while he entered with him. He began to ramble, "So, as I wrote inside the message I sent to you this morning..."

Po felt uncomfortable. He didn't know what he was talking about, but he let his dad lead him around the shop regardless. Maybe they wouldn't see through his cluelessness. At least he hoped not, anyway.

Ping finished dragging Po inside and stepped away. He stretched his wings wide, gesturing to the table in a proud manner. He finally finished his statement with, "...Li and I made new soups!" On the table were three bowls, and they all contained noodle soups.

Li entered the kitchen after finishing up delivering meals, looking as unsurprised as Ping to see him stop by. "Lotus! Are you ready to taste something great?!" he shouted, excited and smiling.

Po understood how lucky he was and decided to hide the fact that he didn't know anything. "How does this work? Can I eat them all?"

"What?! You want them all?!" the goose shouted, anxious. "I thought you already ate something on the way here, like always," he added, checking his stomach.

"Did you put yourself on a diet?" asked an older giant panda. "We wanted a meal together, like a family!" He sounded so happy to say these words.

"Really? This is a great idea!" Po replied. He sat at the table waiting for them.

Ping seemed confused. He's sure that he wrote it inside the message, and suspiciously asked, "Po did you actually read it?"

Realizing he'd used the wrong words, Po stumbled to come up with a believable lie before his adoptive father found out the truth, "Yes! Of course! You didn't mention anything about them!"

Before Ping could open his beak to correct his son, Li stepped in to distract him. It didn't matter if Po actually read the note or not; the fact he actually came to the restaurant was more important. "I remember that too, Ping. Let's just eat or the soups will go cold!" He sat at the table next to his son.

The older panda moved to pick one of the soups, but Ping quickly slapped his paw with a chopstick. "Did you forget?!" he snapped, adding with slight irritation, "Po has to choose what kind of soup he wants!"

"I'm sorry," he winced, cuddling his wounded paw.

"These three soups have new recipes and ingredients! Choose one and tell me what you think about it!" The goose moved them all in front of him. The steam rolling off them was mouthwatering.

They all looked delicious. "Aww… I don't know what to choose! They are all tempting," he murmured, starting to drool. The Panda stared at them for five minutes in absolute silence. He couldn't choose one. They all smelled too good.

Ping couldn't handle it anymore. "Po! The soups are getting cold! Pick one already!" he urged.

"Ok! Ok! I'll pick the second one!" As soon as he picked it, his dads ate the others.

"I think I should have added some more salt," Ping commented on the soup he chose.

Li contested, "This one is good!" He moved his eyes to Po. "What about yours?"

The panda nodded happily. "It's awesome!" Eagerly, he slurped up more, but after a second he tasted something odd. "What's the new ingredient you mentioned before?" he asked. Afterwards, he realized he needed an excuse. "You know… I would be happy to cook it on my own."

"Oh, I called it―wait for it―" Ping paused for dramatic effect, then threw his wings up. "'The Firework!'"

"The… Firework?" His son repeated, confused, but his stomach already understood why. It was gurgling dangerously.

"Yeah! Inspired by your epic victory against Shen and his mortal weapon!" he stated proudly. "Everyone will taste the flavor of that historical fight!"

"Did you feel different?" asked Li, feeling a bit worried about it. He knew what Ping put in the soup he chose, he was relieved that his son somehow didn't feel bad after eating it by the looks of things.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine. Something's wrong?" Po questioned back.

Ping seemed irritated by Li's comment. "What do you mean by that?! I'm a great chef! This is an insult!"

"No no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that! I love your soups! But that one is—"

"Do you think I put too many spices inside of it?! Do you think I can't measure how much I should put inside?!"

"This is your first time making this recipe! Nobody can make it perfect on the first try!"

Po's stomach finally warned his brain. The gurgling only got worse, and he could feel his stomach roll uncomfortably. He felt bad, sweaty and hot. "I need water! Where is it?!" he begged, shooting out of his seat.

"Outside in the back! I filled a bucket thinking about this ending." Li pointed to the exit on the opposite side. He watched while his son immediately darted for the back way.

"You should have told me! I won't make it anymore! You don't trust me at all!" Ping turned his back to him, offended.

"No! Trust me! That soup is awesome! Just needs to be… less spicy," Li appeased, shrugging.

"Well… If you really think that of my soup, you'll have to help me find the right amount—"

"Sounds good to me!" he cut in, crossing his arms. He was satisfied with those terms.

"—by testing every single one of them."

Li gulped, already tasting the flavor of defeat on his lips. "Ugh… fine."

Po rushed outside, found the bucket and dunked his full head inside, gulping as fast as he could. That soup was really hot; his mouth was on fire. By the time the bucket was empty, the burn was more manageable. "I guess dad must modify the recipe," he said, with an audible groan. The panda rubbed his poor stomach. He took a second, waiting until the tingling on his tongue was almost gone, before looking back towards the door of the shop. However, something was changing. The area was growing brighter. Where was the light coming from? Then, he suddenly looked down at himself.

Po's body began to glow with golden lights until they all gathered in one precise spot of his body: his stomach. An uncontrollable yellow ray shot out from him, travelled a bit further and stopped. Reality bent right in front of his eyes; whatever was happening wasn't normal. His Chi opened a portal, and something unidentifiable came out of it, landing on the ground. Po stopped glowing and the portal quickly disappeared, like nothing ever happened.

The only thing left was… a thing. Po kneeled down, curious to learn more. He quickly noticed whatever that thing was, it was breathing. It was alive. Soon he realized that the creature could've been one of those humans Shifu talked about and that excited him, "Hey, wake up! Are you alright?" He shook him, but the human didn't answer.

"Po! Is everything alright?" Mr. Ping asked from the inside of the noodles shop. "I heard a weird sound. Did you fall again on my food?"

"No dad! Everything's fine here!" he hurried an answer, looking around for a place to hide the body. There were countless boxes, from the tiniest ones to gigantic barrels, Po picked up the biggest box to shove the human inside.

"What are you doing with my supplies?" Ping said when he stepped outside. "I thought that soup wasn't good enough for you two," he muttered crossly. His cooking skills were underappreciated in this family.

"What? N-No! It's awesome! I loved it! That's why I thought about... cooking!" he said, floundering for excuses, and when finally finding one his voice rose in pitch as if it would back up his claims through sheer volume alone. "You know… cooking it for everyone else in the Palace!" He nodded confidently. "That's why I was grabbing this very specific box here with everything I need!" He walked past his father and picked up the container.

Mr. Ping's face changed instantly from grumpiness to happiness. "Will you really do that for your old father? I'm so moved to hear that! At least one of you still believes in me!" He cried some tears of joy, and Po smiled forcefully, unable to stop glancing towards the crate with the human inside. "What are you doing here?! Move! Go back to the Palace! Show them how good my soup is!" He pushed him away with the crate.

Spurred on by his dad, Po rushed off towards the Palace with the crate in tow.

Meanwhile, Tigress and Viper were looking deeper in the village, walking down the streets. They checked every section of the village, but it seemed like nothing weird happened. "Should we head back?" Viper said tiredly. "Maybe Shifu has an idea because there's nothing here..."

Tigress couldn't stop thinking about the conversation they had before everything started. Going on a walk like this gave her more time to think things through. Her curiosity was buzzing. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, what's is it?" Viper kindly replied.

Tigress paused completely, crossing her broad arms. She turned towards her comrade with a piercing gaze. "Viper, are you hiding something from me?" Her tone was dark.

Viper stopped slithering. She didn't expect that question. Her head lulled to the side, her serpentine body swaying with the momentum. "H-Hiding? I-I don't know what you mean..." Her words came out stuttered. Her hair accessories billowed slightly with the breeze of the valley.

"You acted... weird when you talked about Po with me. Is there something I should know?"

"You're asking it to the wrong person, Tigress," the serpent replied, looking away.

"'The wrong person?' What does that even mean? How many people know this secret?!" Tigress said, becoming irritated.

Viper felt increasingly uncomfortable. Her body wavered back and forth until finally, she turned around. "I'm sorry Tigress, but I can't help you!" the serpent started to slide in the opposite direction. "I hope you'll forgive me!" Before Tigress could say anything else, Viper slithered away.

"Wait, Viper! Where are you going?" Tigress tried to call her back, but she headed further into the village. She could have chased her down without any problems, but something stopped her from doing so. "What's wrong with her?" she commented, letting out a loud sigh through her sharp teeth.

Ignoring the fact that each one of the Furious Five had a different area to explore, Tigress headed outside the city towards the bamboo forest. She instinctively headed there. It was the best place to be alone, to think better, to understand what her friend was hiding.

Viper slithered faster and faster, getting as much ground as possible between herself and the tiger before checking to see if Tigress was actually chasing her. She wasn't. She looked down, regretting what happened already. The serpent didn't like how she freaked out before, her desire to stay out of that delicate matter got the best of her. The snake thought about turning back and making amends, but her body didn't agree with it and she simply froze there, while the villagers went back and forth.

If she really wanted to make amends for her behavior, the least Viper could do is to tell her the truth, but it was impossible for her to do so.

The serpent changed color from her usual lime green scales with burgundy spots she turned completely yellow. Her chi activated on its own accord, causing light to project out of her body. A portal opened. A creature fell out.

It happened in the merchant's area: the worst place it could have happened. Plenty of people were walking by, talking and shopping easily in the beautiful day. The sun illuminated the whole district. But the light coming from Viper's Chi was even more blinding. They shielded their eyes, ears being drawn back and paws, hooves, and any appendages in between were raised to block it. When the light died down, everyone turned to her and the weird figure on the ground. The crowd flocked around them, trying to discern what was going on.

"Oh gosh, what's that animal? I've never seen something like that!" a pig commented.

"Me neither, and I've travelled a lot," a sheep added.

One after another, more and more people gathered around the strange creature. Viper had to do something, and fast. "Please, there's nothing to see here. This poor animal just fainted!" she excused as she shoved the onlookers back. "Have you never seen, uh―" She stared at it, trying to think of the closest animal it could have resembled― "Monkey?"

She regretted making such a flimsy excuse. That's the second time in a row; it was a new record for her. Viper wasn't a believable liar and, under so much pressure, she felt like everybody already spotted her.

"Oh… Some particular monkey species huh?" the sheep commented. "Yeah, I guess it is. I've seen plenty of unique monkeys..."

Viper blinked incredulously. She didn't think that would work. But she went along with this new story. "That's right! Now please go back to what you all were doing. I'll take care of this!" She wrapped around the being and slithered as fast as she could back to the Palace.

* * *

Tigress walked down the path to the bamboo forest for no apparent reason but to think. That is until she was forced to stop in front of a big rock blocking the way. She smirked, drawing her fist back, before easily destroying it with a single punch. She flexed her digits, with no more distractions in the way, she proceeded onwards through the downtrodden path. She stared down at her unscathed paw and began to think about everything that happened in the last few days. Tigress started to think about everything that happened in these days and what could have been the secret thing she has been forbidden to say. For a second she thought that Shifu forced her to be quiet about it, but it wasn't right. How Viper talked didn't show a behavior of someone who received an order.

"Somebody help me!" a voice echoed from deeper in the forest. It didn't sound far from where she was. She forgot all about her current task and ran there on all fours.

"Give me your money and I'll let you live to see another day!" hissed a crocodile, threatening a poor goat with a knife. The goat trembled in front of the crocodile. He was defenseless.

"Leave him alone, Fung!" Tigress landed in between them, shielding the goat with her body. She struck a defensive position out of habit more than necessity. "Run away from here! I'll deal with these guys!"

The goat listened to her and escaped. The sound of his hooves grew less and less audible before disappearing from hearing range.

"Tigress!" He flinched backwards instinctively, as if he knew five more warriors were about to appear. When no one else appeared, though, he straightened up again. "Are you alone?" Fung asked, getting some courage back.

"Don't worry Fung. I can fight your whole gang even alone!" she growled back at him. Her fists clenched. She was ready.

"I didn't know you were so arrogant," the croc yelled. "I'm extremely curious to find out if you really can! Attack!"

Four crocodiles surrounded Tigress, but numbers don't matter when fighting against a kung fu master. Their moves were predictable and slow. She had no problems handling them. In no time at all, all four crocodiles laid on the ground, occasionally letting out a groan.

Tigress turned to face Fung again. "I highly recommend you give up. I don't want to hurt anyone," she claimed.

Fung was too prideful to do that; not without trying the plan he came up with. The crocodile jeered at her and encouraged his ally to try again. He wanted to keep her occupied so he could find a blind spot in her defenses for his knife. The croc watched her movements, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Tigress's eyes were glued to him. She knew he had some dirty trick prepared specifically for her, and she was right. The feline allowed him to find what he believed to be a blind spot to get him close on purpose. Her arm raised, exposing her side.

Fung's eyes flashed. "THERE!" He lunged forward with his knife towards her vulnerable side. He struck quickly, causing a slight gust of wind to form.

As smooth as water, she swayed her body out of the way. Her limber body then twisted around his form and caught his snout with a right hook. She punched him away, causing his knife to fly out of his hand. She had successfully disarmed him.

The tiger marched forward threateningly. Step after step brought her closer to them. They had better run.

"Ok, OK! We surrender!" The leader shouted, raising his claws; his friends did the same. "We are no match for you! But don't get cocky just because I said that..."

Tigress glared at him; she never liked his humor but she would let them go with a warning. "Then I'll take my leave," she hissed, giving them a view of her back.

At that moment, Fung waved his claw, reminiscent of a signal. A bush moved and Gahri appeared from it, holding a bow and ready to fire at Tigress.

 _FWIP!_

She quickly spun around, hearing the arrow coming. 'What?!' Her paws flew up instinctively. She was not fast enough to dodge it. Her reaction time had been too slow.

But something happened. It was as if time slowed, and Tigress caught a glimpse of the crocodiles' shocked faces. Then, her vision was blocked by an object appearing out of thin air.

"Huh?! What's going on?!" Fung exclaimed. He took a step back, uttering a sound of dismay.

A stranger had appeared in front of Tigress, using his own body as a shield. She wildly flicked her gaze to the left to see a portal closing. A human had emerged from it and protected her.

"Are you alright?" the creature asked with concern in his voice. He turned to her, emitting a grimace.

"Me?!" she cried out. "What about you?!" The arrow had pierced his left arm. Blood was pouring out, trailing down his hand and then dripping to the ground. "You're the injured one!"

"What? This?" He wanted to act tough for some reason, but Tigress knew how much an arrow hurt; she'd dealt with enough injuries of her own while training. "It's nothi..." Something was off. He suddenly teetered, then fell to the ground, losing consciousness. Her eyes widened when she saw some weird green substance on the arrowhead.

"It's poison!" she gasped, reaching for him. A morbid realization hit her that the arrow was meant for her. It made the human's sacrifice even more impacting. She had to get him medical attention, and quickly.

"I don't know what's going on, but let's take this opportunity to run away, guys!" Fung shouted to his gang and retreated to the forest.

Tigress didn't even care if they escaped, her priorities lay with the wounded stranger. "Hang in there, Mantis' gonna help you once we get back to the palace," The feline reassured him, even if the creature couldn't actually understand, she put him on her back, crouching low, and ran back to the Palace as fast as her legs could manage.


	3. Six new characters Prologue 3 End

Mantis, Crane, and Monkey looked around areas outside the city, such as the forest and the mountains. As expected, they didn't find anything special. Common folk didn't frequent these kinds of places. It would have been nice to find the humans there, but it would have been too convenient for them and the masters knew that.

"This isn't bringing us anywhere..." Mantis muttered, tired after searching for the last hour. "There's nothing here."

Crane agreed. "We don't even know if that earthquake was actually a sign."

Monkey knew how they felt: frustrated in not making any progress. He wanted to cheer them up somehow, and he trusted his abilities as a comedian to lighten the mood. There were plenty of new jokes and puns he'd thought of, telling joke after joke as the trio searched.

Mantis rolled his eyes after yet another joke from Monkey. Crane cringed as well, trying to fake his laugh, but, convincing no one.

"Tough crowd, huh?" Monkey commented. "What about this one instead? It's about—"

"Uh… I think I should check the mountains again, you know? I have to be sure. If one of them is here, it may be a problem," Crane said, eager to flee.

"Oh, okay," Monkey nodded. "Let's go together, I don't want you to go alone." his plan were going to be ruined if the group splitted.

"No, no!" Crane quickly opposed, raising some suspicion. The simian frowned, confused. Mantis frowned at the bird for being obvious. "I'll be fast! Stay with Mantis. Don't worry about me."

Monkey couldn't reply fast enough, as Crane flew off towards the mountains. Mantis glared after him, knowing the real reason why he left. "Can I ask you something?" Monkey's tone suddenly turned serious.

Mantis froze, scared that he may have caught wind of their real intentions. "What is it?" He did his best to maintain his composure.

"It's about my puns..." Monkey mused. The simian averted his gaze and scratched his knuckle idly. He was definitely bothered by their behavior.

Mantis sighed, trying to come up with a plan quickly. If only Crane hadn't left him to his own devices, because he was floundering to come up with an excuse. It felt unfair that he had to deal with this.

"You guys don't laugh anymore, unless it's a very good one," Monkey mumbled as he toyed with his fingers lazily.

Mantis sighed, lowering his pincers. He had to calm his comrade down. "Listen, Monkey… You shouldn't—"

"Is it because you're used to my hilarious comedy?" Monkey interjected, smiling. "I mean… That's the only possible explanation!"

Mantis blinked, surprised. The bug's eyes darted around without moving his head. Then, it struck him. This was the perfect excuse he had been waiting for. He decided to play along. "...So you noticed in the end."

"I knew it!" Monkey grinned, doing a fist pump. He had nailed it. "It's time to do even better!" Without another warning, he turned around and ran off, leaping through the thick trees.

"Huh?! Where are you going?!" the bug shouted, chasing after him.

"I'm heading back to the palace!" Monkey called back, swinging through the trees. "We have already checked this place twice now, and Crane is doing it again! So, we're finished, right?"

Mantis managed to catch up and landed on his shoulder. "Then we should look for the others first! Maybe they found something! It's not a good idea to go back just to say we didn't find anything!"

"Ok, hear me out. I wanted to prepare something special for you and the others, so I need to go back. I've been working on some jokes SO funny that you won't be able to breathe anymore," He proudly said of his project.

"Oh dear..." Mantis gulped and face palmed out of dread. "Can't you do that later?" He regretted his obvious question and immediately rushed to correct himself. "I mean—we won't be able to enjoy them in the middle of the mission! Just grab the scroll and let's continue our research."

Monkey sadly agreed, "Damn, you're right. I guess for now I'll just keep it for a better occasion."

The bug let out a sigh of relief, sitting back upon Monkey's shoulder. He managed to not reveal the truth that could have offended him.

Speaking of Crane, the bird flew high enough to reach the top of the mountains. Once again he looked for something he knew nothing about. He felt lost, randomly flying around the mountains and twisting his body to and fro. Then, he raised his head towards the horizon and balked.

The scenery was strikingly beautiful. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, causing a cascade of colors to display against the sky. Golds, reds, and violets bathed the valley in gorgeous hues. The clouds spread out like soft and fluffy-looking curtains, while the sun was the main stage. This was the finale to its performance, but, soon it would close. He landed on a decent outcrop as soon as he saw it. He needed to rest, and indulge himself with the magnificent view before it ended.

"This place is amazing… You can see everything from here," Crane breathed, observing the landscape.

Up this high, everything was perfectly visible. The bamboo forest, the village, even the thousand steps leading up to the Jade Palace. It was beautiful how their creations and nature peacefully combined into something this perfect and harmonious.

Crane felt alone, as the only bird in the team, he had nobody to share with such beauty. A sad smile appeared on his face as he leaned against the rock wall. He continued to watch the scenery in solitude, basking in the mildly comforting light.

Before him, a swirling portal suddenly opened and loomed over the ravine. Before Crane could even realize what was happening, something fell out, dropping off the side of the mountain and tumbling towards the ground below.

"Help!" a feminine voice called out, screaming in terror.

He snapped to the edge, then swan-dived towards the yelling thing. He attempted to swoop under her, but as soon as he was next to her, she grabbed his right wing. For a moment, Crane panicked, unable to even out without his captive wing. But the girl scrambled closer, swinging her body around until she pressed herself flat against his back, her arms squeezing his neck.

He managed to gain altitude again. Now that she was safe, he glanced over his wing worriedly at her. "You okay?"

She held his neck tightly. He could feel her body trembling against his. She was too shaken to answer his question. "Please don't hurt me."

The girl was scared of everything. She was holding him tight because Crane was flying otherwise she would've ran away instantly.

"Hey, calm down. There's nothing to fear." He reassured her, noticing that she was so afraid that her eyes were closed.

It took her a few minutes and Crane understood that she needed time to process the entire thing. The small creature slowly opened her eyes, showing off some beautiful crystalline pupils filled with tears.

The girl slowly loosened her grip, and Crane could sense her look around. "You… You can talk and understand what I'm saying?" Her voice trembled as much as her body did. She was doing her best to calm down.

"Yes, yes I can." He replied back with a nod.

"Ah, I see." She explored the surroundings once more to confirm that she didn't know where she was or why she was in that situation, "Am I crazy? Is this a dream?"

"Well… I don't know you, I can't answer your first question but I can say for sure that you're not dreaming, I'm sorry." Crane explained.

"You're just a figment of my head, you can't say that!" then she attempted to wake herself up, pinching her cheek.

"Don't hurt yourself…" He replied, hearing her pain.

"This is real…" She shivered, "I was falling and a talking Crane saved me from certain death, what's going on here?!"

"Don't freak out. I'm here to help you and explain."

"Just… please, I beg you put me down, stop somewhere I don't know, I need to step on the ground, ok? Also I need to contact my father, he must be worried sick…"

"Yeah… about that…"

"Oh no, is that the I have bad news for you line?"

"You're inside another world, there are no people like you here."

She blinked at him and laughed, "Is this a joke? This is not funny."

Crane lowered her head and went silent, giving her time to slowly accept the thing.

"You're not lying…?"

"I'm sorry."

"Can't you take me back home?" she questioned nervously.

Crane didn't know what to do; she seemed really confused and disoriented. Shifu was the one who knew precisely what was going on, but forcing her to go there would make him feel bad. He decided to leave it up to her. "Listen… I'll try to do that, but first I need to take you somewhere safe. Is that ok?"

She didn't reply. He was worried that she didn't hear or didn't understand. Slowly he felt her presence closer and closer. Right as he was going to glance at her and make sure she was alright, she suddenly hugged him and whispered, "I'm scared, but I'll try."

His face turned into a beet red, she was inside his personal area. He briefly reached up to lower his straw hat over his face, so his cheeks couldn't betray his emotions. He mumbled shyly, "My name's Crane, by the way… I-I apologize for my manners…"

The girl giggled softly, her straight brown hair flying everywhere in the wind. Her blue eyes shined, still shaky, but less afraid. She rested her head against his neck. "Is your name just Crane? What if another Crane shows up?" she asked, "My name's Rebecca. Thank you for saving me back there."

He tilted his head, confused by her question. "Nice to meet you, Rebecca! You have such a unique name. I've... never heard of it before."

"You can't imagine how unique yours is, too," she chuckled, playing along, knowing that he didn't understand the real meaning of what she was saying. After all, a crane was the name of a species, not a person.

The girl curiously observed everything around them. She was amazed by how beautiful the world looked from the perspective of a bird, flying high in the sky, being able to see things no one else saw.

"You know, I heard you," she suddenly admitted shyly.

"You… heard me?" he repeated, having no idea what she could have heard.

Rebecca nodded. "Yeah, before I fell. I heard your voice, but I couldn't see you."

He blushed, "W-What exactly did you hear?"

She smiled, "That you wanted someone to fly with. I'm sorry that you feel alone." The girl spoke with kindness in her voice. She didn't want him to feel just like her.

"Oh dear, this is awkward..." He tried to keep himself composed, even adjusting his hat to make himself look more proper, but he couldn't. "P-Please don't tell anyone..."

"I wish I could fly like you do." She looked away, gazing at the fading clouds. "You're lucky."

"..." Crane couldn't find any words after her statement, pressing the lines of his beak into a thin line. He glided towards the Palace, growing nearer. He wondered if he really was so lucky if he felt so alone…

Monkey and Mantis came back to the palace. Shifu was waiting for them outside. He had tried several times to meditate, to distract himself, but he failed miserably. So, he ended up there on the edge of the thousand steps. "Have you found them?" he interrogated as soon as they showed up.

"Sorry, Master. We didn't," Monkey replied while Mantis shook his head.

Shifu sighed, disappointed even though he tried not to show it. "I want you to stay sharp. The others may come back with them and I need all the help I can find," the wise red panda stated.

"HELP! MANTIS!" Tigress screamed a few moments before suddenly appearing into view, coming up the thousand steps.

The bug whirled around. He spotted the human she was carrying on her back. "What happened? Is he dead?!"

Shifu didn't need to get closer to understand he had been poisoned. After all, it was written all over Tigress's face. "Tigress, bring him inside. Mantis, prepare an antidote. We can still save him." He turned around, walking calmly inside. Contrarily, his students ran, gathering everything they needed.

"Monkey, listen carefully," Tigress said, laying the wounded human on her bed. "You must hold his arm still." She reached her paw forward, grasping the arrow shaft, and snapped it in half. "I need to pull the arrow out of his arm."

"Ok, but remember you can't hesitate, otherwise it will cause more damage," he reminded her, grabbing the creature's left arm, gripping it tightly.

Tigress pressed her mouth in a thin line, then closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry... There's no other way." Her muscles tensed… and then removed the stick as fast as she could, leaving a small hole in his arm.

The male screamed, his face flickering in pain. He struggled desperately against Monkey's grip, but he was too weak to fight against the kung fu master's grip. The blood poured everywhere, streaming down his arm and staining the ground around him red. His struggles began to cease when he grew weaker.

"Calm down... Everything will be over soon," Tigress promised, wrapping the bandages around his wounded arm. Then, she turned around and ordered, "Monkey, go get Mantis. The wound needs to be sealed!" She shoved him out of the room.

Monkey met the bug in the hallway. "Mantis, the―"

"I got it! I'm coming!" Mantis walked past him and reached Tigress inside of her dorm. He set to work on the patient immediately.

The simian peeked inside curiously and whispered, "Is he gonna make it?"

"of course he is!" the bug grumbled. Tigress carefully propped the injured human up while Mantis forced him to drink something. "The poison they used wasn't even deadly. The greatest damage this thing could do is to knock you down for a day, but we already treated it."

"He needs to recover now. We'll talk later. For now, leave the room," Tigress ordered while she lowered him back down.

Mantis' work was done, so he left the room along with Monkey. Tigress lingered for a second longer, looking down at the human she was responsible for. She vowed to herself that she wouldn't allow this to happen again. Gaining some peace with this thought, she left the room, sliding her door closed to give the human some peace and quiet away from the outside world.

Po was halfway to the top of the thousand steps, collapsed on the ground, panting heavily with the crate next to him. "I can't… climb these stairs…" he whispered, breathless. The panda could barely manage to climb them on his own, now with the extra package he had to stop countless times.' He mustered his strength again and pushed himself up again. He grabbed the box, dragging it along with his body up the rest of the stairs.

Shifu waited outside of the palace near the top of the thousand steps. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, trying to remain calm. Then a box suddenly appeared. It inched forward seemingly of its own accord, then righted itself when it reached a flat surface. Then, it stopped moving, and he heard a thud coming from behind it, accompanied by heavy breathing.

Shifu's brow raised. He stretched his neck, trying to get a view of what lay behind the crate. He caught the sight of an exhausted panda slumped over the top of the steps. "Po? What are you doing on the ground?"

"I-I have..." He couldn't find his breath; he was really tired. "A hum―" He swallowed, then gestured wildly towards the crate, trying to find his words. "A human… in the box…!"

The red panda's brow furrowed again. He came to his feet and lifted the lid of the crate, peeking at its contents. He cringed at the sight he saw within. "You could have used something less… confined!" he chided, seeing how uncomfortable the human must be.

"I couldn't find a better place!" Po finally recovered and stood up, resting his paws on his knees for another second before straightening up. "The least I can do now is to let it sleep on my bed."

His master nodded. "Yes, that is a good idea. Don't leave the room until he wakes up."

Po nodded and carried his human off towards his dorm.

It didn't take long before Viper also returned up the steps, slithering towards her master with an unconscious human wrapped within her coils. "I'm going to watch over it," she claimed. "I'll call you when it wakes up."

Crane was the last to arrive. He landed in front of the red panda with the only awake human on his back. Rebecca slid off of his back, looking at the huge palace in front of her in amazement. "Is this where you live?!" she gawked. "Are you, like, rich or something?"

"What are you thinking? It's not like I own this place, how can I explain it to you…" He crossed his wings, "Let's just say that you're welcomed to stay here until we find a way to bring you to your home."

Shifu coughed and the bird turned, seeing his master peering expectantly at him. Crane bowed. "Forgive me, Master. I've brought one of the humans."

In a simple exchange the girl's mind was already shattered, "Did you just call him master?! It was true that every animal talks here then?! And what does that mean one of the humans?! You did lie then!"

"No, no, no please listen. I know it's really hard right now, but I didn't lie to you. More people have happened to fall into a world that it's not theirs and-"

Shifu stepped further, raising his paw to symbolize his desire to talk in his place, "You don't need to worry. I'm glad that you arrived here safe and sound, a bit woozy, but in one piece."

"You don't need to worry. Can we stop saying that? Of course I must be! I'm talking to animals and they understand me, saying that I'm in world where people like me doesn't exist. Yeah, I will take a chill pill after falling down a mountain!"

The red panda turned to his student, "Falling down a mountain? What happened?"

"Her portal opened high in the sky", Crane explained, "Not really the safest place, I understand why she's so shaken up."

"You should follow Po's example and bring her inside your room. She needs to catch a break and rest." Shifu said.

"I'd like to know what's happening and why I am in this situation first. I can't go to sleep and ignore everything." Rebecca argued back.

"I apologize for the troubles I'm making, but other humans are being treated or resting inside the Palace and it's preferable to have you all gathered in one room. I'm not going to explain the situation six times in a row."

"I'm sorry too, please have some patience…"

She took a deep sigh, "I guess I have no choice but I won't assure you that I will fall asleep, that is just not happening."

Back with Tigress and Mantis, they were discussing the human's condition.

"Is he going to be alright?" Tigress asked, concerned.

This was the first time Mantis has ever healed a human. He didn't know how the human's body worked, its resistances, or if the poison would go away with the concoction he made. After some moments, he replied, "I treated him like one of us. All we can do is hope for the best." The bug left the room, trudging towards the training hall, leaving her alone in front of her room door.

Tigress glanced at the door, then to the ground. Mantis was right. All they could do now was wait.

Meanwhile, Shifu came to check on the Five, warning them to bring the humans inside the temple when they woke.

Monkey, on the other hand, rushed towards his room. He arrived, crawled under his bed, and pulled out some scrolls. "These scrolls contain every single joke, pun, and prank I have thought of over the years," he commented proudly, like he was proudly proclaiming it to someone. "I need to find something new!" The content inside of the scrolls didn't satisfy him, so he crawled under again. Maybe he forgot some under of the bed?

In the moment when he least expected, his Chi opened a portal… right under his bed.

"Okay, I didn't expect that to happen," he commented, surprised. He backed slowly away from the portal.

The human who came out of the portal felt even more uncomfortable than Monkey did. "Ok… From the darkest place to an ugly bedroom under a dusty bed. That's great," the human grumbled to himself.

"Let me help you." Monkey lent his arm and pulled him out of there. The human tried to dust off his white shirt to no avail, then sunk onto the bed. He didn't seem to care about what was happening. He looked at his surroundings, trying to get a grasp of where he was.

"A talking Monkey." He said, after finishing his exploration as if that was the less interesting thing, "Cool."

"So… who are you?" The simian tried to break the ice. But the human didn't seem to be a very talkative guy.

"Name's Mark," he replied coldly. That's all he said. Soon after, he curled up on the bed to get some rest.

In the end Monkey was more confused than the human, "Wait! Aren't you interested in knowing what's happening and why you're here?"

"Dude as long as I breath and satisfy my needs I'm ok with everything." He replied back.

"Uh… I have no idea how to reply to this." Monkey sat in the bed next to him, "I feel like you're pushing me, I wish to help you, give me a chance…"

Mark laughed at him. "No one has ever said something like that to me before." He jumped off the bed. "What's in it for you?" Curiosity danced within his dull eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me. How you look it's the least of my problems. You can be a monster and I wouldn't care less. People don't offer you free stuff and expect nothing in return."

"In what world have you lived in?" Monkey asked, "I'm not going to ask you anything in return…"

"Yeah, sure…" Mark scoffed, untrusty of his new acquaintance, "Tell me your name now, I feel like I won't be able to get rid of you easily."

The simian pretended that he didn't hear the last sentence and moved on, "My name is Monkey! I didn't say it because I heard you saying it already so I thought you knew about it."

The human raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by his answer but then he shrugged the entire thing off, he didn't care enough to ask.

"I'm here, might as well tell me what you know, 'Monkey'."

Monkey felt relieved. He convinced the human, changed his mind and opened his heart. He reached forward and suddenly hugged Mark. The brown skinned human, on the other hand, felt extremely uncomfortable. His expression was puzzled, as if he had never been hugged by anyone in his life.

"Okay champ, can you let me go now?" The white haired boy asked, trying his best to break free of the embrace.

Monkey finally let him go. He observed the human thoughtfully for a moment. He remembered how he saw pale humans, but this one was darker. "Did something happen to you?" he asked out of concern.

"If we exclude a journey into the darkness, appearing under a dirty bed and then being almost crushed to death by a weird monkey then yes, nothing happened to me." The human sarcastically replied.

"No, I mean… your skin." The ape licked his finger and tried to clean the blackness, "It's not working…" He rubbed harded.

"Hey, hey, hey what are you doing?!" The human stepped back, disgusted.

"I was trying to clean you, but it's everywhere and I couldn't-"

Mark, upon hearing this, started to laugh uncontrollably, "Dude that was great, you can't change my color though."

"oh it's just your color, I see. I thought you were hurt or something."

"Haven't you seen a black guy before?" He asked with curiosity created by the fact that this animal was entertaining.

"There are no humans in my world so I couldn't know that…"

"No humans?" Mark repeated, sounding like the animal said something crazy.

"I'll just let Shifu handle this. You can ask him everything you want." Monkey said, leading the way to the temple.

A slight interest grew in the humans mind when he mentioned this Shifu guy but he decided to move along instead of putting too much thought in it.

* * *

Po was watching over the human for a few hours, he was getting worried because he didn't wake up yet. The panda was thinking what to do when he heard the human snoring.

The thought that he had been sleeping all along shocked him. Po didn't go easy on him with his questionable transport method.

"Umm, excuse me…" Po hesitantly poked him. "Can you wake up?"

The human pushed his paw away and grumbled in his sleep. "No… I'm tired, let me sleep more." His answer proved that he didn't notice where he was or to who he was talking to.

"Everyone's waiting though. You can't go on like this." Po said, "You can sleep more later if you want."

"Everyone? There is no everyone. I live alone, nobody's waiting…" He yawned, changing position.

"My bad, I should've made myself clear. You're not in your home anymore, this is the Jade Palace and you're sleeping on my bed but that's fine."

"Huh? What are you talking about…" He replied, starting to realize that something was, indeed, out of place.

"Just take a look around buddy."

The human listened and started to get up. In a slow manner he sat on the bed, yawned and tried to look around. Everything was blurry so he scratched his eyes first.

"Hello! Finally you're awake. I was so excited to meet you." Po replied with a warm smile.

When the human's eyes met the source of the voice and realized it was a talking animal he widened his, "Are you a panda?! It can't be! Did I bang my head? Am I still dreaming? Oh my god I'm hallucinating!"

"No, don't worry! Your eyes work perfectly. I'm a panda!" Po confirmed with a grin, "Do you have pandas in your world too?"

The utter confusion in his face, written all over with a bit of panic, "What are you saying?! I can't understand one thing, you're crazy…"

"I suppose that's normal. I'm probably skipping from a thing to another and I'm making a mess, sorry!" He scratched the back of his head, "Don't worry though. Master Shifu will make everything clear for you and the other humans."

"The other humans?! Are you, like, kidnapping people?!" He shouted, "And who is this Shifu you mentioned, your boss?!"

"No! That's not what I meant!"

The human, afraid of what he could've done to him, stood up, heading for the door but he fell on the ground right after an awful sound of cracking bones followed him.

"IT HURTS!" The boy screamed in pain, squirming on the floor.

"Ah, my bad. I put you inside a box..." Po admitted guilty, tapping his claws together. Then, he edged closer to the man and whispered, "You're kind of important stuff, so I had to hide you somewhere..."

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" He yelled, upset. "NOT ONLY YOU KIDNAPPED ME, YOU ALSO BROKE MY BACK."

"I said I didn't kidnap you! And I couldn't find a better replacement…" He looked away, ashamed.

The human took a deep breath, "Ok, you didn't. WOULD YOU HELP ME NOW?"

"Right! I'm coming."

The panda picked him up and strangled his body around his beefy arms. His back cracked again and another scream followed, "Trust me, it's helping you."

The human didn't know what to say, how to react and most importantly what to think, "So… can I leave now?"

"No, you can't."

"But you said you didn't kidnap me."

"I know. It's complicated."

"What am I supposed to do then? I don't have energies left to scream or run away anymore…"

"Let's introduce ourselves! I'll go first. My name's Po!" then he mused over him, "Do you have a name or should I call you 'Human'?"

"Of course I have one!" the human replied quickly. "It's Fulvio."

"Awesome." Po marched towards the door, "Now please, follow me Fulvio, don't run away…"

"I'm scared that my back will punish me if I do, I'm done with that. If I have to die today I hope it'll be painless."

"I said I'm not going to kill you!" The panda proceeded to lift the human up on his shoulders, "I'll carry you there."

"Carry me where?" He asked, still extremely confused, "You know what? Don't answer. You will just make it worse."

* * *

Inside Viper's room, the human she found was slowly waking up. The first thing she saw was a snake staring at her.

With a jerk, she panicked and tumbled backwards, falling off the bed. "What a cute snake..." she said frightened to be poisoned and killed, then she sprinted away, climbing the wardrobe next to the bed.

Viper stared at her, confused.

"Yes, stay there little snake. Be a good snake…" She said, looking around, hoping to find a way to escape.

The tension broke down in a second when Viper started to laugh, "You're funny. What are you doing? Get down!"

"Y-You can talk?!" She shouted. The surprise of that sudden response made her lose balance, falling on the floor again.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry I scared you." She wiped off her tears with the tail, "I don't bite, I'm friendly so you're safe, also I don't have poison so biting you would be useless…"

"I can't believe I started using drugs and I don't remember…" She said, moving her hair off her face while listening to her.

"How do you feel?" She slithered on top of her, "Thirsty? Hungry? If there's something I can do tell me."

"P-Please get off me!" She freaked out, "I'm trying my best to accept the fact that I'm talking with a snake but your squamous body over mine is making me go nuts!"

The serpent saw how paralyzed she was of her presence and backed off, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

It took her a minute to elaborate a phrase, "Don't do it again, please…"

"Yes, I keep forgetting that you're not used to this, I acted recklessly. I'll be, like, 5 inches away from you and I'll get closer only when you'll start feeling safe."

The animal was so gentle and humble with her that she felt guilty for pushing her away like that, "Thanks, I appreciate it."

"What's your name?" Viper asked, slithering next to the door, "I am Viper by the way, not snake as you called me before."

"Let's just forget about what I did before, possibly forever." She stood up from the floor, "My name is Emily and I have so many questions you have no idea."

"You're not the only one, trust me." She slid the door open, "Follow me, my master will clear every doubt you have."

"Your… master? Like… someone taught you how to talk, think and everything else? Wow… this guy must be those mad scientists I've read about in books."

Viper turned around her and gave her the most confused stare ever, "I… don't think I followed you but talking now would just create chaos."

* * *

Tigress couldn't stop staring at the human in her care. She really wanted to know if he was fine, because she needed to talk to him. She couldn't forget how he risked his life like that for a stranger.

The human finally regained consciousness soon after. He moved to get up, putting his weight on his wounded arm. In his drowsy state, he forgot for a moment what happened to him. Then the pain erupted at the pressure on his wounded arm, and he fell off the bed, cradling his arm.

"Here, let me help you." Tigress lent her arm and helped him stand. "Can I ask you something?"

He grimaced, but gathered her bearings with her help. He sunk back onto the bed again, then responded to her question. "It depends on what you want to ask." He smirked at her.

She was confused by his response, but held her ground. "I want to know why you shielded me."

"It's an easy question," he said dismissively, "If you were going to get poisoned, then we wouldn't be able to make it here."

"That's impossible," she shot back, contesting him. "You don't know anything about me. You protected someone who could have been a bad guy. You were sure that I was on your side. How?!"

He stood up, ignoring her. She tried to help him walk, but he refused. "I have a wounded arm, not a broken leg. I can walk." He sauntered forward, then paused inside the hallway. "Will you lead the way or I do have to look around alone?" He spoke as if he knew everything already.

Tigress noticed he knew more than he should. She didn't understand why. It was like he had been reading her mind the whole time, and she couldn't help but be suspicious. "How could you―"

The human hushed her with his finger. "Let's just say we share some sort of weird bond. I even know the thing you're so obsessed with right now."

Her eyes shot open. "You… You know what Viper kept as a secret?" Then she raised an eyebrow, slightly unnerved at the possibility that this human could know more than he let on. It was an impossible thought, though. She couldn't believe it. "It is rather weird, but I can't believe you so easily."

"I wasn't going to tell you anyway." His finger moved from her lips to her torso, "The answer you're looking for is there. When you have some free time, try to look there."

She rolled her eyes and shouldered past him, leading the way. "It doesn't matter right now. Just follow me."

"Your name's Tigress, right?" His eyes scanned her. He asked to be sure of what he knew.

She nodded. "Are you trying to prove to me that you know everything about me?"

"Uh… No, but I thought you wanted to know mine..." he replied simply, redirecting the question back to her.

She smirked. "Oh, that's where you wanted to go with this? Alright then, what's your name?"

"Simon. Sorry, I wasn't able to satisfy your curiosity in time," he joked.

She commented sarcastically, "Thank you. I couldn't hold myself back any longer..."

* * *

Everyone slowly gathered inside the temple. Five humans and five kung fu masters were there.

However, Mantis was still missing. After healing the poisoned human, he headed towards the training hall, looking for some more clues inside the secret room. He didn't know that only one more human was missing, but he wanted to help somehow.

The bug looked for some kind of clue left behind, shoving away dust, moving around things but nothing suspicious appeared, until a weird sound caught his attention.

Something creaked and groaned, and it was coming from the mechanism of the training course. Strange sounds were coming from under the ground, sounds that shouldn't be there.

The thought of the training course breaking was terrible. They needed it now more than ever with the humans joining them.

He didn't hesitate and removed the wooden planks. The bug carefully hopped inside, willing to see the source of that sound.

Some stuck cogs were blocking the mechanism, and the rolling logs used to train balance weren't able to move anymore.

Mantis wasn't really fond of mechanics and the others weren't either, it wasn't the time to add another problem to their list so he tried to fix it by himself, it could've been just minor problem that a simple action could've fixed.

The awful grating sound increased when he pushed them, making the situation worse.

Mantis, freaking out, jumped back to where he was before. He wanted to call for help but something expected caught his attention.

A weird creature was looking all around the area. They were extremely curious and cautious of everything around them.

This human, just like him, noticed the sound and ducked down, noticing the bug that was staring at them.

"Oh, a praying mantis. Aren't you beautiful with those scythes…" He mused, fixing his glasses.

"I don't know, no one has ever said that to me…" Mantis slightly blushed, "People are usually scared of them."

"You can talk? Wow that is incredible! I'm astonished…"

The sound that was right beneath them grew worse.

"Sorry I need to fix this thing first, we can talk later…"

"I noticed that the cogs are having trouble, they can't place themselves correctly in the segment." He explained stuffing his head inside, "Do you have some tools I can use? The section isn't broken per se yet, this is an easy fix but if ignored it will break this well made training course."

"Are you an engineer or something?" Mantis asked, quickly sprinting on the opposite side of the Training Hall, "Found it!" He said, bringing back a toolbox.

"This is just a passion." He picked up a wrench, "Isn't it amazing how we can create things bigger than us?" The human smiled, realizing his mistake, "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean it literally."

"That's alright, I'm used to it but I see your point." Mantis jumped on his shoulder, "How's it going?"

The boy picked up a screwdriver, toyed with it inside the mechanics and magically the cursed sound was gone.

"Amazing! You saved us some precious time."

"You're welcome. I'm not the person to turn my back on a request that I know I can fulfill."

"What's your name big guy? You can call me Mantis."

The human placed the tools back in the box and gently pushed it aside, "You can call me Leo, I'm very pleased to meet you Mantis. You're not someone I would meet everyday."

"Same goes for me. I'm glad you're not that type of guy who freaks out in front of something unexpected or impossible."

"I experienced weirder things just some minutes ago", He explained, "I crossed a portal, ended up in a dark area, it was creepy, also intriguing. I really want to know more of everything. Could you please help me out? I'd like to know where I am if possible."

"Don't worry Leo. Save up your questions I will answer to you soon. Let's go to the temple," He gestured with his scythe, "It's that way."

"Sure thing."

* * *

Everyone gathered inside the temple, each human standing next to the animal who found them. Shifu had the pleasure of meeting them all, safe and sound but it wasn't easy to help the strangers get accustomed to this situation.

"A tiger?!" Fulvio yelled, "Oh no, no, no I'm outta of here."

"Calm down! She's my best friend!" Po reassured, holding him back, "Tigress it's a good person."

"A snake too?! I'm not going to be anybody's dinner! Let. Me. Go!" He wiggled so hard that Fulvio fell off Po's shoulder and almost hit the ground. The panda caught his ankle, now hanging upside-down.

"Please relax…" Po sighed, not knowing how to handle this.

"It's an understandable reaction", Leo commented, "Usually a tiger, a snake and, in some circumstances, a panda and a mantis are dangerous animals but I want you all to take a deep breath and relax. They are completely different from what we know."

"What's the difference?" Mantis asked.

"They follow their instincts and are lacking of intelligence. You also learned how to stand on two paws, a thing that our animals didn't learn."

"Is the science lesson over now?" Mark replied, bored, "That's not what I wanna hear", He crossed his arms.

"I understand your desire to know the truth but it's important that everyone's feeling comfortable and safe, the atmosphere right now is tense." Shifu said.

"Everyone here seems alright", Simon said with his bandaged arm.

"Are we just going to ignore the guy upside-down?" Rebeca asked, "I feel bad for him, please put him down…"

"No, Po." Tigress chimed in, "Unless he has calmed down I suggest to hold him."

"Ok, OK. I CALMED DOWN." Fulvio repeated, hanging from Po's paw, "I feel nauseous, loose the grip!"

"Alright if you insist buddy." The panda finally dropped him, making the human going face first into the floor.

"Ouch, thanks…"

"So… uh… there is something I've been meaning to ask you all." Emily stepped further, looking at all the animals around her, "Who taught how to speak? The viper there said that we were going to meet this Shifu guy but I still didn't see him."

Simon, annoyed, "Let's go straight to the point since you and probably the others too still didn't realize the situation we're in. This is not our world. We're in a world where all the animals learned how to think and talk, basically they're like us but in animal bodies."

"WHAT?!" Emily jumped back, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

"He's not lying." Leo, the glass wearer boy, nodded, "I had some weird visions before my meeting with Mantis. This is, without any doubt, a world where our kind doesn't exist."

"This is crazy…" Fulvio, scratched his head violently, "How did this happen!? Who drug us here?!"

"Are we, like, trapped in here now?" Emily added.

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Rebecca cried out, "I WANNA GO HOME!"

"Ok guys relax and listen to us." Po interjected, preventing chaos, "We will find a way to send you all back home I promise."

"Really?" Rebecca remarked, putting her hopes high.

"It's a promise."

Shifu coughed, "It must be frustrating but you have to accept the situation you're in now otherwise I won't be able to explain the situation and what we must do."

"Are you saying there is more?" Fulvio asked, "I already need a break…"

"You're naive." Simon commented, "If we ended up here there is a reason, probably something that only us can do."

"After accomplishing this feat there is a high chance that we will be sent back home." Leo supported his theory.

"Is that true? Please tell me it is!" Emily said.

Shifu sat down in the middle of the room and asked everyone to sit all around him. When all the humans and his students settled down he started his explanation.

"In these days I've been doing my researches and I discovered something more about this but let's start from the beginning. Every dimension is connected to each other thanks to a place called Void. The Void is an area with nothing but darkness. Some of you remember to have been in a cold place, no lights, difficulty to breathe and that was the Void. That place allowed you to travel between your world and ours. Our ancestors tried to conquer this place to use it. They succeeded and failed at the same time. The natural order cracked and portals opened everywhere. They killed themselves to bring things back to normal."

"Dude I'm not going to kill myself. I'm not a hero." The brown-skinned guy complained.

"You don't need to worry. If we fix this before things get out of control nobody will be sacrificed. The ancestors were forced to do it because there were countless cracks everywhere they looked." Shifu explained.

"Who opened these portals then? Didn't they sacrifice for everyone?" Leo asked

"The portals opened because the Void became unstable again."

"Are we the only one who have fallen into them? I'm worried that more people will get caught in this messed up situation…"

"I don't know about that. Normal people can't travel into the Void, the darkness will consume them and there is no way to predict the effects. If you all survived that means you're no ordinary people."

"I'm sure that we're connected to this instability", Simon said, "I feel like we are the key to fix it."

"That is also what I believed." Shifu nodded, "Now hear me out and these new elements."

The red panda cleared his throat and continued, "The ancestors were six people."

"The humans are six too, right?" Crane asked, starting to count again.

Mark, beyond bored, started to ignore what they were saying. The entire discussion was meaningless to him. They were just spinning in circles making a stupid duty sound harder for no reason. He placed his hands inside his pockets, looking for his beloved knife but he didn't find it, instead, he grasped something spheric in his left hand, he pulled it out and saw a weird green ball. He didn't call the others to look at it and started to stare at it on his own.

"Hey, you what is that in your hand?!" Shifu, in the end, noticed by himself, "Give it to me!"

The human, who couldn't find any purpose to what he already labelled as junk, decided to throw the mysterious ball at him, because it didn't have any economic value, "All yours."

Shifu didn't even need to look at it to understand what that was. Its appearance was extremely off but the feeling of that ball in his hand was comparable to only one kind of thing.

"This… is a chi stone." The red panda said, holding it high.

The kung fu masters' eyes widened. That was unexpected and unpredictable. Tigress was the one who spoke up. "Master, wait! Shouldn't Chi stones be inside of our bodies?" she asked, confused. The humans glanced at each other, clueless to what was happening.

"Not if… the humans have inherited the power from those ancient heroes," Shifu stated.

"Ancient heroes' power? What is he talking about?" Rebecca asked, confused and peeking out from behind Crane's wings.

"You have inside of you… still sleeping somewhere… the power to fix and stop the void from cracking." He, then, briefly explained what Chi is. "Your Chi stones are rough ones, still. With training, you'll probably unlock incredible powers."

"Training? Really? This too?" Fulvio sighed, letting his body on the ground, "And I can't even refuse this, can I?" He searched inside his clothes and found the same stone, "This thing is my ticket for the prison."

"I don't want you to feel forced but we really need your help. I understand how complicated, hard and impossible to believe this situation is and how much we're asking you to do, that's why we can take it slow, one step at the time." Shifu slowly moved around, meeting every humans' eyes, "Will you help us?"

"Do we really have time to waste here?" Simon asked, "then again this isn't something we can rush, count me in."

"I wanna go home and if this will help me do that then I will." Rebecca nodded.

"I really need to be used to deal with animals now," Emily shivered, "I'm ok with it, I'll start by touching Viper…"

"Am I really that scary?" The serpent looked down, saddened.

"I told you already. I don't die for other people." Mark remarked, "If this situation gets out of control I'll leave, I don't care. Now it's fine and I'll cooperate."

"I'm totally not the athletic guy," Fulvio sighed, "but there's nothing I can say. I can't refuse and let everyone die because I'm a coward…"

Leo, the human with the bug on his shoulder, with renovated interest smiled firmly. "I'm in. I really want to know what I'll be able to do."

"Don't rush, young human." Shifu raised his paw haltingly. "Today we have something else to do."

Rebecca tilted her head, confused. "What else is more important than that?"

"Building your own house." The red panda rubbed his chin. "In the palace, there isn't enough space to keep you all."


	4. First power Chapter 1, P1

_Legend of the Otherworld - Chapter 1 - **New power**_

All the humans slowly began introducing themselves. For some of them it was quite weird and embarrassing.

"I… I don't know what to say," Fulvio mumbled sheepishly from on top of the giant panda. He had average-looking short black hair and brown eyes. He also had on a pair of blue pants and a brown shirt.

Simon glared at him scornfully. "Your name would be enough. They know nothing about our world and manners." Similar to Fulvio, Simon had brown eyes and black hair, but his hair was much longer and it fell to his shoulders. He had on a pair of black pants, and a red shirt with the left sleeve cut off due to the warriors using it as a makeshift bandage for his wound.

"Maybe, but not everything seems like it's completely different here..." Emily said, glancing around curiously. She had red wavy hair and brown eyes, and is currently wearing a yellow shirt paired with some light blue jeans.

"So… what's the plan?" Mark asked coldly, arms crossed and nonchalantly leaning against a wall behind everyone else. He had dark brown skin, short white hair, and a pair of deep green eyes highlighted by his sleeveless white shirt and black pants.

"Didn't you hear the raccoon?!" Rebecca scolded him, rolling her eyes and sighing at his aloof attitude. "We have to stay here, fix whatever he said needed to be fixed, and then, as heroes, we will be sent back home! Simple!" Rebecca was the shortest one out of everyone in the group. She was wearing a pink shirt and a pair of short, light blue pants. She had light blue eyes, and straight brown hair slightly longer than Simon's.

Leo cringed, taken aback by Rebecca's outburst. "R-Raccoon? There are no raccoons here!" He was the oldest and tallest one of the group with short, dark blonde hair, and brown eyes with a pair of glasses sitting neatly in front. He wore a striped white and blue shirt and brown pants.

"What, then, is that?" Rebecca insisted, pointing at Shifu who was trying very hard to not look offended.

Some of the humans looked away, feeling embarrassed by her bluntness, while the others merely laughed. "He's a red panda," Leo explained with an apologetic smile to said animal.

The girl stiffened and instantly turned red. "Oh… P-PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I DIDN'T KNOW!" she exclaimed loudly, running behind Crane to hide, successfully making the bird look even more uncomfortable than before.

Shifu ignored whatever just happened with a shake of his head and continued, "It isn't a coincidence that we have six humans and six kung fu masters. The first human you met today will be your partner from now on."

"Partner?" Tigress repeated in confusion, head tilted and an eyebrow raised.

"They'll need a guide. Someone needs to look after them and protect them while they are here. They know nothing of this world, so it's best to assign a human to each one of you." Shifu nodded to each of his students, and then coughed to clear his throat. "I have made up my mind. Fulvio, stay with Po. Tigress, you're with Simon. Monkey, you have Mark. Viper, take care of Emily. Leo, you will be with Mantis. Rebecca, you will stick with Crane."

"Oh, isn't that just perfect..." Mark groaned sarcastically with a tone of disinterest. He threw a glare at the golden-furred monkey as if to say, "Touch me and you die."

Monkey widened his eyes, held up his hands in a peaceful gesture, and slowly backed away.

Shifu then began explaining everything they needed to know. "The only thing I ask of you six is to not go down to the village, understand? Our people shouldn't see you, so don't ever leave this place alone," Shifu said in a commanding tone, staring pointedly at each and every one of the humans.

The aforementioned humans nodded, some seriously and others like they couldn't care less. However, the thing that bugged them all was the fact that they couldn't remember anything before falling into the darkness. A few who were awake while falling told the others that it was completely dark and empty, but then there was a gold light that appeared and helped them find the exit to the endless chasm. Nonetheless, they―along with everyone else―couldn't recall how they got there in the first place.

"Protect these chi stones at all costs because inside of them lies an incredible power. That is why we need to teach them as soon as possible," Shifu continued, "but for today, you should build three huts for our guests."

Meanwhile, while the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior bowed to their sensei and took off with their respective humans―with and without some struggle―outside the temple, an owl chuckled maliciously. She had just heard the entire conversation without anyone noticing her presence.

"Interesting," she purred to herself before flapping her large wings, leaving a gust of feathers in place of where she was perched.

"These ancient powers must be mine. I think I'll need a little help from a dear friend," she thought cunningly. An evil laugh erupted from her pointed beak as a plan formed in her mind. Flapping her wings harder, the owl quickly disappeared into the horizon.

Po, the Furious Five, and their six humans went outside the temple. They were all thinking about where a good spot might be to build three little houses.

"We can build them close to our rooms. After all, if something happens in the middle of the night, we can arrive to deal with the problem quicker," Tigress explained, tail swishing from side to side absentmindedly while she examined the reactions of her comrades.

"Do you think we will be able to finish in time before night comes?" Viper questioned, feeling not too sure about the amount of time until completion.

Leo picked up a few pieces of paper and a pencil. "Actually, about that…" He tapped the pencil against his lip for a moment before jotting something down. "I can help you guys with the architectural designs and blueprint plans. Don't worry; our houses will be done in no time," Leo said with an encouraging smile, and then began sketching something with big, precise hand movements.

Mark rolled his eyes and glanced at the sky with an irritated expression. He wasn't at all excited to build a freaking house of all things, and was already thinking of ways to avoid any work.

"We can work without your help guys," Monkey spoke up with a friendly smile. He had noticed Mark's reaction, and was trying to gain the human's favor. Or, at least get Mark to look like he tolerated him. "You guys can go get some rest."

The girls instantly refused his offer. They both claimed they wanted to help them along with Leo.

Fulvio instead took full advantage of Monkey's offer. "I'll take Simon to rest in his room since he can't help because of his condition!" In literally five seconds, Fulvio had retrieved Simon and dragged the poor guy away. Simon didn't want to leave, but he was wounded and knew he couldn't help much anyways. So, being frustrated with himself and annoyed at his wound, he opted to glare daggers at the happy-go-lucky grin on Fulvio's face.

Po perked up. "Oh! Oh! I'll help bring in some wooden planks!" he announced, just about ready to sprint away before Mantis leaped in front of the panda and stopped him. "No! The last time we let you do that, you broke everything! We were stuck working all day fixing a house in the village with nothing but rocks and twigs!"

"Aw c'mon! This time I won't mess up! I swear!" Po begged, trying very hard to regain Mantis's trust.

"Well actually, we need you to do something else," Tigress intervened suddenly while she glanced down at the expertly drawn sketches Leo made.

"Really?!" Po was excited upon hearing that. A mission, only for him!

"You can prepare something for everyone to eat," she said with a smirk before turning away to join the others in picking out a spot for the huts.

Po's face fell, his previously happy expression crumbling away like one of Monkey's secret cookies. Tigress had totally fooled him. "But… That's not…"

"Shifu told us that you brought Fulvio inside the supply box Ping sends us everyday, and now we don't have any food. Isn't dinner important, too?" she added suavely with a sly smile. Po, for once, couldn't think of a reply, and Tigress knew then that she had won.

"Fine… I'll go to get some food, but I'll definitely join you guys after!" Po pointed at them with both of his paws dramatically before clumsily jogging away.

"Alright guys, we've gotta work as fast as we can! We've got to finish before Po comes back!" Mantis shouted, frantically leaping all over the place to gather materials. In a heartbeat, the rest of the Five sprung into action as well, leaving the humans to stare at their sudden burst of enthusiasm in astonishment.

Fulvio used Simon as an excuse to have some alone time, but in truth he didn't want to work or sleep at all. He only wanted to listen in on the entire conversation from a distance... which is precisely what he and Simon did.

"You want to go with Po, don't you? I can read the look written on your face that says you really want to," the wounded boy grunted to the other.

Fulvio grinned back at him. "Haha, yep, that's right! Do you want to come too?"

"How should we go? We can't leave the palace, everyone will probably notice. Besides I can't stealthily follow you in these conditions, I'll only give your presence away…" Simon replied, gently poking his arm to check to see if it's healing, but instead wincing at the spike of pain that shot up his arm like a bullet.

"Well then, I guess I'll go alone. See you later!" Simon nodded at the boy's retreating back. Fulvio left discreetly and tried to catch up to Po.

Simon walked towards Tigress's room, needing more rest than the others. "That boy has something even I can't figure out…"

Po, feeling pretty down, descended the lengthy stairs. He just wanted to stay and help them. Knowing better than these humans, it seemed so unfair to do that chore alone.

Fulvio noticed that and decided to show up sooner. He jumped at him, screaming, "Watch out!"

The panda didn't expect his call and turned around as Fulvio grabbed him, making Po lose his balance. They both started to fall all the way down to the bottom. Po grabbed the human and curled into a ball, trying to avoid any damage. At the end of the stairs, he slammed against the wall.

"Are you okay?" the panda asked, concerned and looking for injuries.

"That was incredible!" Fulvio said after standing up on shaky legs. "Luckily I didn't eat yet. Otherwise I would've needed to throw up by now!"

"You shouldn't be here!" Po scolded, changing the subject. "Nobody can see you! It's dangerous!"

"Okay. I understand," Fulvio replied. "Bring me back to the palace then." He sat on the stairs, waiting for Po to pick him up.

Po remembered the struggles he had with climbing up the stairs. He could hardly climb up alone. When he carried Fulvio, his heart felt like it was going to explode. "Well… Maybe you can come with me after all." The panda decided to make the most of this. He changed his mind and smiled, because now there was someone else with him.

Fulvio stood up again, beginning to take some steps forward. However, Po suddenly stopped him, putting his arm in the way. "Wait! We can't walk normally among the citizens! We need to take another path." After saying this, he picked up the human and jumped onto the roof of a house. The panda was running on top of the buildings and still managed to bring the human with him unnoticed. "Okay, my dad's shop is right under here."

"Oh… That's good. How should we—" He wasn't able to finish before Po leaped off the roof, bringing him along. Fulvio, predicting what his partner wanted to do, screamed. They landed with a really loud thud.

"Li can you check outside? I heard a girl shouting in the back!" Ping said from the kitchen.

Po started to panic. He frantically tried to find a hideout for his friend. Fulvio glared at him with a look that said, "I dare you to put me inside another box." Po found a huge barrel and put him there instead.

"I swear I can't handle this anymore," Fulvio muttered, annoyed.

As soon as Li came out, he immediately noticed Po was hiding something from them. His face wasn't normal, holding his usual suspicious expression when he didn't want to be caught. Po felt trapped. "Lotus… What are you doing out here?"

The panda released a guilty laugh. "N-Nothing! I was just passing by and―"

Ping stepped outside, too, because Li hadn't come back. He thought something had happened! "Po? You shouldn't be here! I already gave you some supplies!" He scolded his son, thinking he came to eat more.

Po felt cornered, not knowing how to answer. "I wanted to know if you found out the correct recipe for your new soup!" he shouted without thinking of his volume.

Li remembered how many times they tried until they found the right one. He felt nauseous and returned to the kitchen.

"Oh… You should've told me sooner!" Ping exclaimed happily. "It's inside this barrel—"

'Not that one please!' Po thought, scared.

"—that I put all the ingredients in and I was going to send to you tomorrow." He pointed towards the same barrel where Fulvio was hiding.

'That's great…' Fulvio thought sarcastically.

"These ingredients are the best in all of China!" Ping hit the barrel twice, the spices moved around.

Fulvio inhaled them sharply. He tried to resist the urge to sneeze, but failed. "ACHOO!"

"Huh?! There's something inside of it!" Ping exclaimed, then looked at Po, who was sweating badly. He understood that something fishy was going on. "What are you hiding from me!?"

Fulvio opened the barrel and came out. "Po, I guess it's time to tell him the truth. I can't hide anymore…"

The goose turned towards the boy, who exited out of the barrel. "Are you related to Monkey? You resemble him somewhat…"

Po's eyes widened greatly. "He's right… I didn't notice that! Let's just say―" His belly suddenly growled, interrupting his speech.

"You'll tell me everything later! I'll cook something to eat, so come inside!" he stated before going back into the kitchen.

Po finally gave up and explained everything: the legend, the heroes, and the humans.

"Oh! That's why I have never seen someone like you here before!" Ping exclaimed, giving them some noodle soup.

Li didn't seem as surprised as the goose. "Humans… I don't know where or how, but I remember hearing this word somewhere…" He tried to focus, but nothing came out.

Fulvio stopped eating briefly. "Let me know if you remember anything. Any bit of information is helpful!"

"I have the best food for my mind right here!" Li sat at the table with them and picked up a bowl full of dumplings.

"Dad, give me some dumplings too!" Po reached over and grabbed several.

"Dumplings? Never had one," the human commented nonchalantly, watching the animals eat.

The two pandas upon hearing him, stopped and stared, wordless. "YOU HAVE NEVER EATEN A DUMPLING?!" they both shouted in unison.

Fulvio felt like he had said something weird, but he wasn't able to speak because Po plopped one into his mouth, looking excited. "Now tell me what you think!" the panda urged.

Fulvio chewed a bit. He didn't like its taste, but Po was probably waiting for a positive answer, so he decided to lie. "It's pretty good!"

Li lent him the bowl thinking he wanted some more, but the human kindly refused. "I'm already full," he lied.

Everything seemed to be going better than expected: Ping accepted the request to prepare the food for everyone in the palace and accepted Po's apologies for lying twice. Something snapped inside of Fulvio's mind when he saw how strong the bond was between them. A memory from the past played out in his mind that resembled what he did with the dumpling Po offered him.

Po noticed that something was wrong with his new friend. "You okay?"

He ignored Po's call and stood up. "I need to go out for a second. Excuse me."

"Wait, where are you going?!" Po complained, but the human continued on his path out the back door with no response.

Fulvio took a few steps forward before sitting on the ground with a sigh, looking up at the sky.

"What's bothering you?" Po slowly approached him, still eating a dumpling.

Fulvio continued not to answer. Not because he didn't want to, but because he didn't know how to explain it. It was a mixture of emotions into one complicated emotion.

Po scooted closer and tugged the human into an embrace. "I don't know how it feels to be catapulted into another world, but… the others and I will do everything we can to make this place comfortable for you all."

"Thank you, but that's not what bothers me…"

The panda thought a bit and said, smiling, "Don't tell me it's about the dumpling?"

Fulvio, flustered, turned to him. "Did you notice?" He stared at the ground guiltily. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to ruin the moment."

Po laughed. "C'mon do you really think that was important? I was happy because you were here with me, not because of the dumpling!"

The human didn't believe what he actually heard. "What? Don't lie to me! We barely know each other!"

"Just because I don't know anything about you doesn't mean I can't call you friend. We have time to tell each other every secret and every story!"

Fulvio felt relieved to hear these words; nobody had ever told him something like that before. He tightened Po's hold around his body, seeking out more cuddles. Surprisingly, his body started to shine with golden light.

"What's happening?!" the human shouted, scared.

"Check your chi stone!" Po suggested to him.

Fulvio picked the stone out from his pocket. It was glowing even more than his body. "Please help me!" he cried out. "DO SOMETHING!"

The panda didn't know what to do! He felt useless as the gold light covered the human completely and became even brighter, forcing Po to clench his eyes shut.

"Po! Open your eyes! The light is gone! Do you notice anything different?" Fulvio asked his friend.

As soon as he opened his eyes, they widened even more. He wanted to be sure of what he was seeing. "You won't believe me…" the Panda shuddered. "Look at your hands!"

The human looked down at his hands. For a moment he didn't realize what was wrong. Then, suddenly, he screamed, frightened. "NO…THIS IS A JOKE, RIGHT?!" Fulvio questioned, panicked.

What was human... was no longer human.

Po tried to calm him down. "Maybe there's a way to turn you back into a human… Don't panic…"

"HOW WOULD YOU FEEL WHEN YOU LITERALLY CHANGE YOUR FORM INTO SOMETHING ELSE?!" he shouted back at him, freaking out even more. The newly created panda checked his body, noticing that even the tail was there now.

Fulvio was a panda now... Was it Po's doing? He didn't know what to think. The chi stone appeared around his neck as a panda shaped necklace.

Ping and Li came outside to check on them, hearing the scream. They became surprised when they didn't see a human, but another panda. Po quickly explained to them what had occurred in their absence.

"Po, you should take a better look at him." He pointed towards Fulvio's hands and feet. Everything seemed to resemble a common panda. However, the spots, which were supposed to be black, were white while the rest of his body was black.

"That's true… Is that normal?" Po questioned to his biological father.

"Reversed pandas used to have that special trait, but not only there! Every spot is switched," Li stated, bewildered.

"Do you mean… where black should be, there's white? And vice-versa?" Po tried to follow.

"Yes, exactly… It's weird because he's probably a cross between these two species."

"I think it's cool!" Po nodded, observing Fulvio's body like it's some sort of miracle. His eyes glistened like they usually did when he was observing something he thought was awesome.

Li rubbed his chin. "It's weird because reversed pandas don't exist anymore," he added.

Po and Ping gaped. "Really?!"

Fulvio cut into the conversation, crying for help. "I DON'T CARE! I JUST WANT TO BE HUMAN AGAIN! AM I STUCK IN THIS BODY FOREVER?!"


	5. Emotion key Chapter 1, P2

The human-turned-panda was touching himself everywhere. He felt so uncomfortable having fluffy fur, being three times heavier, and to have a tail (even if it was just a little ball). He could even sense it moving.

"Fulvio, try to stand up! Walk! Try to get used to this new form!" Po suggested.

"THAT'S EASY TO SAY! I can't control it properly!" He tried to walk a bit but lost control and fell on the floor.

Li smelled something burning. "What's that smell?"

"I FORGOT THE NOODLES!" Ping rushed inside the kitchen.

Po thought for a way to help his friend learn how to control his body. "Come with me, I have an idea!" he yelled, then dragged Fulvio inside the restaurant.

"What are all of you doing here?!" Ping shouted, worried. "This place can only handle so many fat pandas!"

"I'm sorry, dad. We're going to leave soon."

"Now can you tell me what you want me to do?" Fulvio asked, trying to keep a stable position inside the small kitchen.

Po searched inside of his old stuff and pulled out his old apron from when he used to work there. "Here, put this on!"

"But I bring the food to the customers!" Li intervened.

"No… I can't be a waiter! No… You're out of your mind!" Fulvio didn't like this at all. His features were twisted in horror.

"Dad, let him do it until our food is ready!" Po shouted, then turned to explain to his friend. "Do it! I started with this, so it will help you!"

'This is so embarrassing, but he knows best...' Fulvio thought dejectedly to himself while wearing that odd apron.

Ping pulled out a sign. It said: "We don't give any refunds."

Po, reading that, disappointedly looked towards his adoptive father. "Did you forget the trust thing already?"

"I trust you, son, but I can't say the same for the other one," Ping mumbled. "I just need to be sure."

Po sighed, then turned back around to face Fulvio. "Don't worry, I'll help you," he reassured, trying to calm him down.

Fulvio was convinced to give this a try just to see how it would work out. "Fine… What should I do?"

Po quickly explained what he had to do, but Fulvio didn't learn anything new or useful from what he already knew. He tried, he really did, and messed up almost immediately; he spilled the soups on the customers, pushed away the tables, and tripped while carrying stuff. Ping pulled out another sign. It said: "With the next purchase, free tofu dessert."

"Dad!" Po frowned at him disappointedly.

"What? More money for me..." Ping added.

All the customers were complaining about "that incompetent panda." Po tried to reassure Fulvio. "It's your first time, don't worry. You'll get the hang of it!"

However, Fulvio couldn't take it anymore. "No, Po, that's enough!" he shouted back at Po. "I'm not a panda! I can't be a panda! I tried, but this isn't working..."

Li argued to help his son, "Even Po didn't know what it was to be a panda. You shouldn't put yourself down."

Fulvio threw the apron at Po. His irritation had reached its peak. "I want my body back! Not learning how to use another one!" He was on the verge of tears before running away towards the palace, leaving Po behind.

"No Fulvio, wait!" Po started to follow him, but Ping blocked him.

"You can't leave without this!" Thirteen noodle soups and some tofu were placed inside a giant box and passed to him.

"I need to reach him! But… I can't run with all this stuff!" he muttered. "I GUESS WE'LL SEE YOU AT THE PALACE!" Po hoped Fulvio heard that and slowly walked back to the palace with the box in tow.

* * *

The human-panda climbed back to the palace. Unlike his partner, he didn't seem affected by the "panda asthma" (as the Dragon Warrior called it). He sat at the top of the stairs, overwhelmed by his thoughts.

In that moment, Emily, since Tigress asked her to, was helping Simon. They were passing by when they noticed the giant panda sitting on the stairs. "Look, is that Po?" Emily asked Simon.

"It should be him, but I'm not so sure," Simon said, approaching.

Fulvio was holding his chi stone and staring at his curious shape, still hoping to find a way to reverse this effect.

As soon as he got close enough, Simon noticed the changed chi stone and exclaimed, "Fulvio, is that you?!"

"Oh… Hi guys..." he simply replied. The man was demoralized… a lot.

"I see… The hidden power Shifu was talking about is this," Emily realized. "We should tell the others. This is important."

Simon nodded, but then said, "Go on then. I need to talk to Fulvio. Don't worry about my wound; it hurts, but I'm fine."

Emily left, and Simon sat next to Fulvio. "Now I know what the odd thing is that bothered me about you."

"Hmm?" Fulvio turned his face to him.

"You're like Tigress, who used to hide every emotion and lock them up. She cared more about the others than herself."

Fulvio grinned a bit, but that didn't work in making him feel better. There was too much weighing on his mind to be cheered up so easily. His paws clenched tightly into fists. "I vented on Po... I can't forgive myself!"

"Whatever happened, staying here and crying about how useless you are won't change anything." Simon tried to make him realize what he had to do.

"You don't understand! Too many things happened in such a short time! This body, his family, then the waiter thing!" The panda put his paws on his face, covering it as a desperate attempt to push the problems away.

"Look at me," Simon said. As soon as Fulvio removed his paws and looked at him, Simon punched his face.

Fulvio stared back at him, cuddling his face, his haywire emotions halting the struggle within his mind.

"You just need to calm down with one step at the time. Everything will be fine."

Fulvio usually wouldn't believe these things, but he said it with such a calm and kind voice, like he was really sure of it. He couldn't help but simply trust him. "Thank you. I owe you one."

"What? This is nothing." Simon winked, thinking that's already the second time he said something similar. "But… Shouldn't you be somewhere else now?" Simon asked him.

Fulvio panicked, remembering that he left Po behind with a huge pile of food. He stood up and ran down the stairs again.

'I have a theory about this transformation and I'll test it right away,' Simon thought, and headed towards the peach tree.

* * *

Meanwhile, Po, tired and sweaty, was climbing back to the palace, hoping that Fulvio would hear his screams of apology. "Please come back! I didn't want to change you!"

"I know that you were trying to help me." The weird panda popped out of nowhere, scaring Po. After that, they both started to laugh.

"Will you accept my apologies?" Po mumbled.

"You don't need to since I was the one who created a useless problem. I can deal with this as long as you will be here to support me."

Po smiled, happy. "I'll be so clingy that you won't be able to think!"

Fulvio was glad to hear that, so much that his stone glowed again, turning him back into a human.

"You're back!" the panda shouted, excited. "How did you do that?!"

The human thought about it for a moment, then realized the key for controlling it. After some moments, he focused, shape-shifting again into a panda.

Po's eyes widened, staring at him in awe. "Wow… Someone knows how to use his power now!"

"My emotions… That's how I turned the first time, and this is how I changed back! Po! The others needs to know! Hurry!" He helped Po carrying the boxes towards the palace.

* * *

Emily had returned to the others and was in the middle of explaining to them how Fulvio was now a panda. However, she was interrupted when Po and Fulvio ran into them.

"Guys!" Po shouted. "We brought a God's gift!" The two pandas put down the box.

Everyone, surprised and shocked, gathered around Fulvio, of whom was still a panda.

"Ehm… Can I have some space? I can't breath..." Fulvio couldn't handle that much attention.

"I can't believe it! Now we have two pandas..." Monkey cried out. "THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!"

"Monkey, don't be rude!" Viper scolded him, while Mark hid a little laugh.

The pandas explained what Emily didn't. There was a way to revert the transformation too. However, there were more questions that needed answers.

"Are you a panda because of Po, or are we going to have our own unique animal forms?" Leo questioned, excited to hear an answer.

"YES, YES, YES!" a hyper Rebecca yelled. "I WANT TO BE A BIRD LIKE CRANE!"

"It's great that Fulvio unlocked his special power, but Shifu told you that you MUSTN'T bring the humans outside the palace!" Tigress specified, glaring at Po. She loomed over him threateningly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Po took the blame and covered for his friend, which said friend noticed.

"You shouldn't do it, you idiot," Fulvio whispered to him.

Tigress noticed that Simon still wasn't there. "Emily, I asked you to look after Simon. The huts are almost ready. Where is he?"

"He wanted to stay with Fulvio, so I came here, thinking that he wasn't alone," the girl explained.

Fulvio began shyly, "Po needed help so I..." He trailed off, then slumped his shoulders before finishing with, "...left him at the top of the stairs."

"You did WHAT?!" Tigress shouted, angry. "HE'S WOUNDED!" She thrust her claw pointedly at the doors. "GO GET HIM! NOW!"

Po didn't understand what the problem was. "Why are you so mad? I'm sure he's fine. Nothi―"

"BECAUSE HE'S TOO IMPORTANT TO BE LEFT ALONE. GO!" Tigress shouted, her voice louder than before.

Fulvio and Po ran back to the stairs. They hoped nothing had happened, for both Simon's sake and theirs.

* * *

Simon had arrived at the sacred Peach Tree of Wisdom. He had a feeling this place was the right place to relax and clear his mind. 'It's time to prove if I'm right,' he thought, sitting on the ground.

Closing his eyes, the man slowly inhaled and exhaled. Simon tried to push away every thought, focusing on himself. His chi stone and body glowed with golden lights. Thanks to his determination, he successfully shape shifted.

'Wow… It's even better than I thought,' he mused, satisfied. He observed his new body.

His chi stone appeared around his neck, like Fulvio, but he wasn't a panda. He was a crocodile with dark scales. His golden shiny eyes narrowed while he raised his arm, peering at the new rough texture of his skin. His mouth, once soft, now was elongated into a maw of crushing power. Flexing his fingers and observing his new claws, he realized something.

'My wounds aren't shared with my two forms…!' He moved his left arm and it didn't hurt. Peering closely, he couldn't find the arrow wound that had pierced his flesh previously.

He checked his newfound strong body, clenching his fists. With these sharp fangs and his long tail that resembled a whip, he felt strong and powerful. An ominous smile appeared on his face.

Nearby, Shifu was meditating and he perceived something that changed suddenly. 'The humans' chi! Two of them are stronger than before! How is it possible in such short time?' the red panda pondered wildly. His eyes were drawn wide in bewilderment.

Simon found Shifu not so far from where he was. He drew closer to the red panda, announcing his presence. "I think we discovered what kind of powers we have."

Shifu slowly turned to him. "What kind of power, if I may ask?"

The crocodile didn't reply and waited for him to completely turn towards him. Shifu's eyes widened further in response, coming to his feet and moving closer. "Simon? Is that you?" The old master recognized Simon's voice, but didn't expect to see someone else, and a crocodile at that! However, he quickly composed himself and slid his arms into his sleeves. He eyed the man while lost in thought.

"You don't seem as surprised as you should be, Shifu. Are you hiding something else?" The croc narrowed his amber eyes suspiciously.

"Do the others know about your new power?" It seemed more like a competition: who could hide more things from the other and act more mysterious?

"I'll do that right away, but you should do it, too. Sooner or later they will find out." The human-turned-crocodile rushed outside, climbing the top of the palace.

* * *

Po and Fulvio noticed a suspicious figure going towards the huts and worried about who he was, forgetting completely about Simon, and ran back into the place they just left.

Tigress and the others had just finished building the new homes for the humans. They built three houses for two people each.

"We did it!" Crane shouted, spreading his wings. "Even faster than usual!"

"Hi, everyone!" The crocodile cried out from atop the roof, and then jumped, landing in front of the masters.

The five instinctively put themselves in front of the humans, protecting them. They were ready in their battle stances and ready to defend them with their lives against this new threat. However, Tigress was different. Her tangerine eyes scanned the stranger's form and, after some moments, noticed the necklace. She immediately realized who the crocodile was. He was no stranger to any of them.

"Don't worry guys, I got this!" Po shouted, running towards Simon. He revved up his fists, preparing to combat him.

Tigress growled. Po hadn't realized it yet. She had to stop him. "No, wait! Po, he isn't―"

But Po didn't listen to her. The Dragon Warrior leaped, ready to crush him with his belly. Simon gracefully dodged, landing his right foot on Po's head, then jumped away. The panda fell on the ground, slid, and crashed into a wall.

"That will leave a bruise," Mantis stated, covering his eyes with his pincers from the loud and painful crash.

Shifu came some moments later, following that awful noise. "What's happening here? Simon?" He turned his gaze towards the crocodile.

Everyone realized then that the necklace was Simon's rough chi stone after obtaining his new power.

"Oh… I see." The red panda observed the completed huts and congratulated them. "You did a good job, but it's getting late." Then he moved the unconscious panda onto the floor. "Po! Instead of playing, you should have cooked dinner!" Shifu scolded.

Po merely groaned in response.


	6. Sorrowful night Chapter 1, P3

Building new huts took a lot of time and energy. Soon it was going to be dark outside; night was coming. Everyone gathered inside and waited for dinner.

"Here! Everything's ready!" Po came to them, bringing the noodle soups his dad prepared. "Oh…the table seems bigger," Po commented, then came to a realization. "Oh yeah, of course. We have more people now."

Monkey laughed. "And did you get it all alone? I'm really impressed!"

"Well…what can I say…I'm a genius. Of course I did that on my own!" He replied, playing along.

Everyone giggled at how silly they were.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Po commented, "I didn't expect to see a bigger table, that's all."

Shifu and Simon explained what they found out with Fulvio's confirmation.

"This is so exciting!" Leo shouted, excited. "Can I borrow one of your stones for tonight? I really want to examine them!"

"No, forget it." They both answer at the same time while eating.

"I understand…" He sighed, depressed.

"Why do you wanna see their stone when you have yours right here?" Mantis climbed on him and pulled the rough stone out of his pocket.

"That's because it's rough, there's nothing in there I can see..." Leo snatched the stone away from Mantis and put it back where it was. 

Rebecca was daydreaming while the others were having an important conversation. 'I really hope my animal form is a bird. I don't care which one, just give me one!'

After the dinner the red panda encouraged them to go to sleep. "Tomorrow we will start some basic training for everyone, but mostly for you two," he informed them, pointing to Fulvio and Simon.

Fulvio winced. "Tr-Training?"

Simon, instead, seemed happy and excited. "I can't wait for it!"

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the valley, someone was planning an evil project. The owl was hoping to find a way to extract chi from the humans without being a master. She knew only one person capable of that.

She landed in front of a house in the middle of the bamboo forest, knocked, and waited for someone to open it.

'What am I doing? I don't need his permission to enter,' the owl thought before destroying the door, and then walked inside.

A warthog ran to check what happened, hearing the sound of something that's been broken. "Fenghuang?! Why are you here?! Why are you destroying my house?!" he shouted, confused.

"Oh…Taotie, my lovely, dear friend." She approached him.

"We've never been friends." He tilted his head.

She sighed, irritated at him for not getting the joke. "DO YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW?!"

"Then just tell me what you want!" Taotie replied, yawning. "I was sleeping, you know. Couldn't you show up during the day?"

"Shut up and listen," Fenghuang hushed him, explaining what she discovered.

"Hmm…interesting." He rubbed his chin. "I think I can build something..."

"Are you able to do that?" The owl grinned.

"Of course I can!" Taotie shouted, "This evil genius can build whatever he wants!"

"Yes, finally I…." She began to start some sort of monologue, but the warthog interfered.

"But…"

"What's the problem!?"

"It won't come for free." The boar raised his hoof and listed his complaints. "You come here, destroy my house, and then I even need to work for you?!"

"Maybe I wasn't clear enough. I'm sorry." She grabbed him with her sharp talons, lifted him up and yelled, "YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO DEMAND ANYTHING!"

"Fine. Kill me. The weapon will build itself!" the warthog challenged.

Fenghuang gave up and dropped the beast. He was right, sort of. "Fine. What do you want? Money? Your stupid house?! Do your job and I'll repay you."

"Now we're talking." He stood up and walked away. "We'll see in two days. Good night."

Fenghuang froze in place then chased after him. "No, no, no. Who told you that I was going to give you two days for a stupid weapon? I'm trying to be nice, but don't test me or I'll tear you apart."

"Then what do you want from me?! Only working all night long will I be able to build it," Taotie replied.

The owl nodded, satisfied. "I'm fine with that."

"Next time, keep your mouth shut…" The boar mumbled to himself, yet loud enough that she heard him, and began to work.

* * *

Deep in the night at the palace, Simon wasn't able to sleep. He was happy to have an entire hut for himself; Fulvio decided to sleep with Po. His thoughts, however, didn't let him rest peacefully, so he went outside hoping to relax somehow.

Leo noticed him passing by. "Simon, where are you going so late?" he questioned from his room. The only thing Simon saw was a shadow through the door attempting to lure him there with him and Mark. Simon ignored him completely, going straight.

"You're not the only who doesn't remember everything clearly," he insisted, peeking outside the door. Simon stopped and turned to him, slightly interested.

"How many memories?" he asked, staring at him coldly.

Leo thought about it for a moment. "One month, more or less…"

He was surprised to hear a precise time. "How could you…"

"My clothes."

Simon lost the small fragment of interest. The reasons that brought him to say that were useless to him. "At least you remember where you belong…" He walked away.

Leo came back inside, sliding the door. "I'm so sorry for him, I didn't know that he lost everything…"

"It's his problem, why do you even care?" Mark said, laying on the bed.

"Because we're friends?" he simply replied.

The man didn't know what he was talking about. "Friends?" he repeated, showing his lack of basic knowledge.

"You sound like you never had one in your life…"

Mark shouted, irritated. He was being treated like an idiot twice. "I'm still alive! You know what this means?!"

Leo tilted his head, then giggled, "What?"

"You don't need a friend to survive, that's all." He gave Leo his back, facing the wall.

Leo couldn't hold back laughter hearing that phrase.

"What's so funny about that?!" Mark quickly turned back to him, embarrassed.

"Because you really don't know what a friend is!" Leo replied. "I thought you were joking..."

"I told you! Who needs a friend?! I just need to drink, eat and sleep! This is how we survive!"

Leo turned serious. That kind of speech wasn't healthy. "Mark…" he stared at him. "Do you actually have a family?"

"If a family is made by one element then yes I have one." His tone saddening with each word; saying that clearly hurt him.

"If you want...we can make your family grow." Leo put himself under the sheets. "Good night."

Mark stared at him wordlessly; something weird was happening inside his chest making this the first time ever feeling it.

"Good night," he replied, still thinking about what just happened.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the girls's hut, Rebecca and Emily were sharing some moments to know each other.

Emily giggled. "I have to admit, I was dying when Simon literally shoved Po into the wall."

Rebecca nodded, but she wasn't listening. Her mind was elsewhere. "Yeah, sure...I saw that."

Emily rose an eyebrow, then sat next to her. "What's wrong?"

Rebecca curled up into a ball, her head on top of her legs. "It's just...I miss my home, that's all."

"Is someone waiting for you on the other side?" Emily asked, trying to empathize more.

"Just my father." She glanced down.

Emily gulped, thinking that she dug where she shouldn't have. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright. You didn't know." Then she straightened and continued, forcing a smile. "She will always be my side. That's what they always say."

Those words triggered something in Emily's mind: memories, images and feelings. All of them flashed back, frantic and chaotic, one after another providing no help all. She fell on the floor screaming. It caused a painful headache in which easing the pain was a struggle as the girl tightened her grip on her head.

"EMILY!" Rebecca instantly stood up and kneeled down to help. "WHAT'S WRONG?!"

"HEY! IS EVERYTHING OKAY?" Leo asked from his hut, hearing the scream.

Rebecca's voice trembled. "I-I don't know! Emily's suffering and I don't know what to do!"

Emily grabbed her shirt and slowly pulled herself up. "I'm fine..." She panted. "It's over..."

"Do you need help?" the boy asked.

Emily tilted her head even if he couldn't see her. "No, no...I'm fine. It was only temporary..."

"I'm sorry," Rebecca stated bringing her back to her bed. "It's my fault…isn't it?"

"Of course it's not!" Emily smiled back at her. "Don't be sad, okay?" She caressed her face. "I'll do my best to support you."

Rebecca hugged the taller girl. "Don't scare me like that anymore!"

Emily gently pat her head, but stopped suddenly when she noticed that Rebecca was crying. "I literally just said don't be sad."

"I'm sorry..." She smiled, wiping off her tears. "I'm very emotional..."

* * *

Simon walked towards the temple where he shapeshifted into the crocodile, starting to train alone. After some minutes of panting and sweating one of his punches was blocked by Tigress.

"What are you doing?" she questioned.

"Can you not see for yourself?!" he commented, slightly annoyed. "I'm training!"

"You're wasting energy and time," she scolded him. "Go to sleep! Tomorrow we will begin!"

"I exploit every moment!" Simon replied, trying to hit her with the other fist.

She blocked that, too. "Give me a good reason."

"This is the only thing I can do," he breathed out. "They took away everything from me."

Tigress sensed some pain in those words and let him go; a simple speech wouldn't push him to go back. "Then let me teach you something."

"Do you want to fight?" He was waiting for that. "I'm coming!" He rushed for her.

Tigress dodged and blocked every single punch and kick from him; they had a huge skill gap. She wasn't fighting back. "Focus! Don't get mad if you can't land any hits!"

Simon tried to relax his body. He deeply wanted to hit her at least one time.

"Tell me your reason to fight!" She shouted at him.

He shot his eyes open; that was an unexpected question. "I don't know," he admitted.

Tigress seemed irritated to hear that. She fought back, hitting him in the stomach pretty hard. "You won't EVER win a fight without it. Good or bad, everyone has and must have a reason."

The crocodile fell on the floor not able to speak. His mind needed to register the pain.

"The motivation; it's the first step," she explained. "Find a reason to stand up again! Fight your own pain!"

Simon knew... He knew what she meant. He stood up again, still suffering and sweating. "It's not over yet!"

"I'll ask you again. WHY DO YOU FIGHT?" she yelled, running towards him again.

"My reason…" he stretched his arm towards her. "I fight for my OWN MEMORIES!" Simon cried out.

Tigress widened her eyes, giving up the idea of fighting back. Simon was still trying to break through, but any attempt was a failure. Until a revelation hit, that was. The crocodile waited for her to block both of his fists, then used his tail to make her fall on the ground. With his sharp fangs pointed at her neck, Tigress couldn't move or they would have pierced her. He stared at her, proud and satisfied.

"That's a really weird reason," she commented, ignoring what he was doing.

"It's the truth…" he explained. "I don't remember anything… Who is my family? Where do I come from? My mind is empty…"

"And you think this will help you recover it?"

"Do I have other choices?" He freed her from his fangs and stood up.

"Who knows? We can't predict the future, so maybe you'll find something more important."

"Good night, Simon."

"Wait!" he shouted to his partner, calling her back. "Why did you let me win?" Simon pointed out, knowing that she allowed him to put her down.

"You don't need an answer for that." She grinned, leaving him behind.


	7. Going away Chapter 1, P4

Taotie worked all night. In the morning, his first prototype of chi extractor, as he called it, was finished. "The evil genius strikes again!" the warthog shouted, happy.

Fenghuang woke up after hearing his loud noises. "Is it done?"

"You can wait for a better version, otherwise this one should be fine." He handed over the gun.

"How does this work? I have to shoot, then what?" the owl asked impatiently.

"Listen carefully. This is a prototype. It won't be able to shoot more than five times," Taotie explained.

"You'll make another one. That's not the problem." She grinned.

"If my theory is correct, successfully hitting a human will drain all their chi, but I don't know what happens if you hit one of us."

Fenghuang seemed interested to find out. "You deserve some rest, don't you think?" She pointed the gun at him.

"Wait!" He slowly walked backwards, raising his hooves. "What about more guns?! You need me!"

She moved closer to him. An eerie grin appeared on her face. "Don't worry, you won't die! It's just for fun!" Her new gun brimmed with energy, then fired.

Taotie was struck by the beam, and he screamed in pain. He could feel the energy being sucked from his body. It flew out into the whirlpool that was the gun. The engineer then fell to the floor, unconscious.

"That's all?!" she yelled, upset and berating the fainted warthog as if he could somehow listen. "I hope it works! For your sake!" She flew away towards the village.

* * *

-

Shifu, like he did everyday, walked through the hallway and proceeded to wake up everyone earlier than normal.

"Wake up, students!" he shouted outside the rooms. "We have a lot of things to do this morning. We'll start sooner than normal!"

The five stood up from their room like they always did when their master called them, but Po didn't join them.

The red panda slammed Po's door and commanded angrily, "PO, I TOLD YOU TO WAKE UP!" Then, he took some deep breaths, and his anger ebbed. He cleared his throat. "You have important business today."

Last night, Fulvio had asked Po if he could sleep with him, precisely on top of him. Po agreed… But, in that very moment, he forgot. He abruptly stood, causing him to throw the human to the floor.

"I'm sorry Master…" Po yawned. "I'm up!" Then he realized that he pushed Fulvio face first on the ground. His eyes widened, and he emerged into a panicked state. His paws waved wildly. "I'M SORRY! I usually sleep alone!" He picked Fulvio up and sat him down properly.

"We'll see you in the training hall within five minutes, not a moment longer." Shifu turned his back to the door and walked away.

"Don't worry, I understand." Fulvio sighed to himself. He had been enjoying the warmth of Po's fur while he slept. He then raised his head and opened the window.

Po watched Fulvio for a moment. "What are you doing?" he asked, thinking it odd.

"This?" He pointed outside. "It's a shortcut to the training hall," Fulvio explained, smiling at him.

Po rubbed his head, thinking about it. "I don't get it…" He peered out the window to see what the human was talking about. There wasn't a secret shortcut to his knowledge.

"Give me your paw. I'll show you," the human replied with an ominous smile.

"O-Okay..." He nodded uncertainly. The panda lent the human his paw. He decided to trust him.

As soon as he placed his paw in his hand, Fulvio shapeshifted into a panda and threw him out the window. Po bounced a couple of times before landing in front of the humans' hut below.

"This is a time I should say, 'Don't you dare do this again,'" Po commented, still sprawled out on the ground.

"Sort of." Satisfied, Fulvio walked towards him, turning back into a human.

All the humans exited their huts to check out what happened. "You shouldn't use your power for playing around," Leo scolded Fulvio after opening the door.

"Don't be so harsh on him! That is something I would do as well," Emily said, defending him.

"We should head into the training hall now. Everyone's waiting," Simon reminded before walking away.

Mark ignored everyone and followed them shortly after. The human saw the panda laying on the ground, specifically in the path he was walking. Instead of walking around Po, Mark walked over him. However, he was too light to even faze the panda. It was the thought of doing so that would bother anyone.

"I'm sorry for what my friend did..." Leo apologized for him. Mark simply left without turning back.

"It's alright." The Dragon Warrior stood up. "Everyone has a different way to handle this situation, right? I can't understand how it feels to live in a world you know nothing about."

Leo moved his gaze from the panda to the nonchalant stomper who was still in sight. "I'm trying to help him, but I need more time. I'm sure he wants to change as well."

"I… really don't think that showed the will of someone who wants to change," Emily added skeptically, then crossed her arms.

Rebecca rushed towards the training hall, but not for the same reason everyone was heading there. She stopped next to Mark as soon as she reached him. Along the path, nobody talked. Rebecca had no idea what to say, impulsive as she was. She headed there without thinking of what to do next.

Mark stopped suddenly. The girl did the same. He resumed walking, and she followed. Mark growled, until finally he couldn't take it anymore. "What are you doing?" he snapped, annoyed.

"What am I doing?" she mumbled, panicking. She floundered for excuses. "Nothing special! Just walking with my dear friend towards the training hall!" She felt uncomfortable knowing that what she just said sounded really stupid.

"Again with that thing…" He looked thoughtful. "What's the point of it?"

The girl's eyes widened, then she froze for a couple of seconds. She pondered the meaning of his words. 'Is that supposed to be a joke? Is he mocking me? What kind of a question is that?' These and other thoughts came across her mind. "A friend is someone who you can rely on…"

"Really…? I never did that in my life. The only person I'm relying on is me," Mark admitted, showing some understanding for what she said. The mess in his mind wasn't cleared, though.

"Well…" Rebecca grabbed his arm, wrapping herself around it. "You can count me in."

She caught him off guard. Mark winced back, freeing himself from her hold. Afterwards he blushed, recognizing the feeling to be the one he felt yesterday with Leo. "D-Don't do that, okay?!"

Rebecca laughed. In that moment Mark walked faster, leaving her behind. "I'm sorry!" she shouted after him. "Don't be afraid to trust the others! They really care about us! Especially Monkey for you!"

That weird feeling of embarrassment Mark felt soon turned into a guilty one. He should have done that from the start, but nobody actually taught him how to do it.

* * *

-

Shifu started to talk as soon as everyone arrived. "Welcome to the hall of training. Here you all will train until you unlock your hidden powers. For now, I'll test these two humans." He pointed his staff at Simon and Fulvio.

Simon turned into a crocodile. "I'm ready for anything. Are we going to fight?"

"Please go easy on me!" Fulvio begged for his life, worried.

"Me?" Shifu's eyes widened when the human said that. "This is a misunderstanding. I won't fight you," he accurately stated.

Fulvio breathed a sigh of relief. "For a moment I thought I was going to fight…"

"You'll fight each other. That's what I wanted to say." Shifu cut in, crumbling Fulvio's dreams.

"I don't know anything! Zero! Nada! What do you want to see!?" he panicked, fumbling an excuse.

Shifu faced Fulvio. "Do you think Simon is a kung fu master?"

"Fine… I give up. I'll give it a try." He consented and sighed, shapeshifting into a panda.

The wise master started the fight, but no one moved. The panda clearly didn't know what to do. The crocodile, in contrast, had no reasons to not attack him.

"Would you like to start?" Shifu inquired, slightly irritated.

"I was waiting for him to attack first," the crocodile replied. "Look at him; he's shivering."

Fulvio winced. "I am in no condition to attack first! Just make this quick, okay?"

"This is so boring…" Mark stated disinterestedly. He sighed and shook his head. His thoughts were clear. 'I have no reasons to stay here any longer,' he thought, leaving silently.

The red panda noticed him, though. He glanced over to Monkey, then the door, communicating with his eyes. The simian bowed and headed outside.

"Ok, you know what? You're right." Simon grinned and rushed towards Fulvio. "I'm coming!"

* * *

-

Mark, meanwhile, was leaning against one of the columns outside, lost in thought.

Monkey finally reached him. "Hey, what's going on? Why are you outside?"

"I want to be alone. That's how I always was. Let me be alone." The human turned his head away, as if he didn't even wish to look at the monkey.

"I can't."

Mark turned his head to him. "Huh?" It was as simple as turning away, wasn't it? He didn't understand why he had to be here besides taking orders.

Monkey raised his head and stared seriously at the boy. He was the most serious Mark has ever seen him. "No one deserves to be alone. That's awful. I know how it feels like."

Mark gritted his teeth together. His face was drawn in shadow, and his fists trembled. "Do you understand that I lied from the beginning?" he hissed between his grinding teeth. The human was trying so hard to push him away.

"About what?"

"About everything. I don't like this place. I don't like being here. I don't like being forced to live with you people."

Monkey frowned. "Like it or not, you're here now. Your presence is necessary. You probably won't care if our world or yours get destroyed by some creature trapped in another dimension, but you have to because if these two worlds die, you'll die with them." Monkey forced him to accept the simple and plain truth since he didn't know how else to convince him to get back inside.

Mark didn't reply. Monkey waited until the human walked inside silently. The simian felt guilty, but couldn't think of a better solution.

"I thought you guys were fighting. What's that? A dance?" Mark mocked as soon as he entered the training hall.

Simon was struggling to even catch Fulvio. Not because his opponent was a good fighter and easily dodged, but because the panda was running away.

"Are you going to fight back or what?!" Simon yelled at him.

"How many times do I have to repeat myself?! I don't know anything about fighting!" Fulvio cried out with a tired tone.

"Fine. I won't waste time with you!" The crocodile, instead of continuing to try, grabbed him and threw him inside the training course on the rolling logs. Then he activated it.

Fulvio struggled to keep some sort of balance, but they were too fast! He flew away, landing in the section with the barbed logs. Fulvio tried to stand without touching them. However, he knocked into one accidentally, creating some sort of chain reaction. They began to strike him countless times everywhere. "Help..." the panda whispered, in too much pain to speak.

"I have to help him!" Po stood up, preparing to intervene. He couldn't bear to stand by while his friend was in pain.

Tigress grabbed his arm. "Stop. Don't interfere."

"I… I remember this." Po whispered, biting his lip. "This makes me feel sad. I can't look at it..."

After a while, Fulvio successfully escaped, crawling out and breathing a sigh of relief. He was covered in bruises. "Please, can we stop now?"

Simon reached him and helped him stand up. "You know that we didn't even fight yet, right?"

"I'm not a warrior! I-I don't even know how to punch someone!" Fulvio groaned.

In the meantime, what they didn't notice was that they were still inside the training course, just another section of it. They were in the section with the spiked logs hanging from the roof. They were slowly swinging upon them until one went down close enough to hit Simon, who wasn't looking.

"WATCH OUT, SIMON!" Fulvio put himself between Simon and the log and punched where there weren't any spikes. He broke it, but screamed in pain shortly after. The log, meanwhile, shattered into a million pieces, the wood chips clattering against the floor.

The crocodile frowned at him when he turned around. He was surprised, but also dismayed. "What kind of sick game are you playing with me?!" he screamed. "You told me that you don't know how to fight, yet you saved me by breaking that with one paw!"

"I… I don't know! I did that without thinking! I wanted to save you!" Fulvio commented shyly.

Some fragments of the spiked log Fulvio broke fell towards The Five and the humans. Something triggered Mark to rush and shield Rebecca with his body, but made it look like he was just passing by. He grimaced with his arm raised over them to shield their heads. The debris then clattered to the floor harmlessly.

"That was very nice of you. Thanks," Rebecca noted, smiling at him from under his arm. "And you said you didn't care."

"Don't get confused by appearances. I didn't do anything special," Mark replied, pretending to be cold. After a moment, he turned towards Monkey and saw him with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

Shifu started to talk to the humans again. "You learned your first lesson, young student. Maybe two," he specified, nodding at Fulvio. He then turned. "Tigress told me that you, Simon, already know about the fighting reason."

"Why didn't Shifu teach me that too when I arrived?" Po whispered to Tigress.

"Because I never wanted to show you anything." Shifu overheard him and answered for Tigress. "For me you were just a burden, then all those things happened with one day for training you… I needed to speed up."

Po frowned, but he knew that already, making it easy to just let it go.

"Is he saying that my fighting reason is to protect the others?" Fulvio thought out loud. "I'm not so sure about that…"

"Your second lesson is to not trust your mind too much. You need to keep a perfect balance of both."

Shifu sent the humans away, concluding their first lesson to have breakfast while The Five and Po began their daily chi training.

"Who wants to cook?" Leo asked the others.

"I want to do it! I have something special in mind!" Rebecca stood up, walking towards the kitchen stove. "Mark! Come with me! I need some help!"

"Uh?! I've never cooked!" he complained.

"Who cares? I need some help. Trust me, it will be fun!" she said, bringing him along. The man couldn't argue; he was already almost there.

Fulvio didn't follow them inside the kitchen. Instead, he turned around and headed outside, mumbling some sort of excuse about going to the bathroom. What he really wanted was to be alone for bit; he was not used to this and what had happened disturbed him.

"Where are you going?" Someone spotted him walking down the thousand steps.

"Me?" he laughed awkwardly. "I was going to the bathroom!" He quickly turned around like that was the right way.

Emily teased him, pointing to where the bathroom actually was. He didn't turn. "I hope you know that you failed twice."

"That's because I was going to… get back my stone, yes! It fell down and it could be tragic if I..."

"Please stop," the girl cut in. "Just tell me the truth."

"I wanted to visit the village again… and maybe later ask for something to eat at Po's dad's," he admitted, walking back and giving up the idea.

She stopped him. "And now why are you going back? I never said don't go..."

He blinked. "Really?"

She nodded. "But I want to come along," she whispered.

"Fine. I have a very special place for you that is rather unique, just for you." The panda picked up the famous crate.

She frowned, looking at it. "Are you serious? Do I really have to get in there?"

"Well… Do you have a better idea?"

Emily muttered, accepting it. "But at least let me walk down the stairs alone..."

Fulvio agreed, probably to not burden himself carrying her the whole way down there. "Sounds good to me."

They didn't talk. They had different reasons to be there; however, similarly, both wanted some time alone to think about what happened so far.

"When did it happen?" he asked shyly, breaking the silence. It felt awkward to be around someone yet not talk; it was weird for him.

"I don't remember it clearly…" she admitted. "It probably wasn't important…" Her tone slightly changed when she said that. Maybe she was hiding something, but Fulvio wouldn't know.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have…" He instantly tried to apologize.

"No, no. It's okay." She smiled. "You wanted to talk, am I right? But as far as I can see, you're bad at it."

Fulvio blushed. Because of his strong shyness, he fell silent.

Emily noticed she messed up. She quickly turned to change the subject. "We arrived..." She pointed towards the box. "Time to get this over with..." She gulped nervously. This wasn't going to be pleasant.

* * *

-

"Good morning," Fulvio said as soon as Po's fathers saw him walking inside.

"Good… morning?" Li Shan repeated, confused to see him there.

The goose peeked outside, seeing him approaching. "What are you doing here alone? Where's Po?"

"Yeah… 'Alone,'" Emily said, mumbling inside the box. Fulvio, alarmed, glanced over them hoping they didn't hear anything.

"I bet he's still training at the palace!" Ping sighed. "These days he shows up less and less."

"C'mon, don't put yourself down." Li stated encouragingly. "He promised to stay with us every day the next holiday."

"I know…" Ping complained. "But I can't wait so long!"

"We were going to eat something." The older panda turned towards the kitchen. "Do you want to join us?" he asked the human.

Fulvio was going to answer, but Emily did it from inside the box, making it awkward. "Yes! I'm starving!"

"I told you to stay silent!" he whispered back.

"Why?!" she shouted even louder than before. "Po told me that his parents know about us!" She opened the little prison and went outside.

"That isn't the reason why you were there!" Fulvio stated, covering her with his giant body. "This is a restaurant, you know. Now it's empty because it's morning, but soon enough it won't be! You can't just walk around like we normally do!"

"Oh! Another human!" Ping stared at her, trying to spot every possible difference from the other one he saw yesterday. "You are completely different from the one I met yesterday!"

"It's obvious that I am totally different!" Emily commented, upset. She was taking it personally. "I'm a girl! You saw a boy yesterday!"

"A loud one…" he muttered, trying to keep it inside.

"You're lucky that I eat more than I need to!" Li Shan grinned, walking towards them carrying noodles soups, bean buns, and dumplings on a tray.

"You should eat less! I can't afford a bigger kitchen!" Ping mocked.

While eating together, they shared amongst each other stories of their worlds. They were discussing what they usually did and ate.

"You don't know how much I wanted to laugh." Emily was now telling them about their first day of training. Fulvio's first one, specifically.

"Please, can we talk about something else?" Fulvio's white fluffy panda face slowly turned red.

Li Shan changed topic to something more interesting and serious. "I want you to know that I sent a message to the Panda Village yesterday. We'll probably receive an answer soon."

Fulvio's face brightened. He clasped his paws over his bowl. "That's great! Thank you! I hope this will help us find more information as soon as possible."

Ping saw that they didn't eat enough, or maybe he's used to watching too many pandas eat. "Do you need something else to eat?"

Li was going to ask for it, but the goose glared at him with a scowl. He instantly gave up, slumping his shoulders.

* * *

-

Fenghuang was on her way to the palace, but she didn't seem sure about a direct attack. She flapped her wings mindlessly while she mulled over these issues. 'I can't fight so many people… I need to think about something that will give me some time. A distraction!' The owl then flew back towards the bamboo forest; she needed to get some people on her side.

'Where are those stupid crocodiles when you need them…' she thought impatiently. Her eyes scanned the forest for them, but none of them were in sight. Her features downturned into a scowl. She didn't have time for this.

Then, a brilliant idea suddenly struck her!

"Oh no! I'm lost! I'm all alone in this scary forest! I have a lot of money and I can be the perfect prey for the bandits! What will this poor, little and beautiful girl do now?" She tried to make her voice more "cute," but it turned out pretty badly.

Fung fell for the trap anyway and attacked her. Their skills didn't compare. She was much stronger than him. After blocking his first attack, the owl easily put the crocodile down, knocking him into the ground with her sharp claw.

"You're not a poor little girl!" he tried to talk, but she was choking him. "Nor a beautiful one!" She pressed down, suffocating him more.

Seeing that, the other crocodiles hid, scared. A grin spread across her face after seeing this. She said, "I have a question for you. Do you care about your life?" Fenghuang she couldn't help but find glee in torturing others.

Fung couldn't breath. He tried his best to nod back.

"Good boy. I have a job for you!" She released him.

The crocodile inhaled more than usual, trying to fill his lungs and extinguish the pain caused by her. His eyes flitted back to her when she spoke anew. He cringed, but he had no choice but to listen to her demands.

"You have to go to the village with your… uh… junk, and do what you want. I need a distraction! You have to lure all the Five and the Dragon Warrior to you."

Fung did not have any other options; he had to accept her request. "Ok, ok! I'll do it, you stupid mad bird..." 

Her evil grin widened, an eerie expression crossing Fenghuang's face. "Then get to it if you value your life!" She left them with terrified looks on their faces. She raised her wings, then lifted off into the sky. She flew towards the palace once more. The grin never left.

Her evil plan was finally coming to fruition!


	8. Misfortune Chapter 1, P5

It had been quite some time since Emily and Fulvio went missing. The other humans were starting to worry about where they actually were.

"Breakfast is ready!" Rebecca yelled happily, then looked around, prepared to share her meal with everyone else. "Ehm… Isn't someone missing?" She tilted her head.

Simon replied nonchalantly, "Fulvio and Emily didn't follow us here at all."

Mark was more concerned about eating than finding them. "They will eventually show up. Can we eat?"

Leo cleaned his glasses while he resumed speaking. "Just think about it. Fulvio and Simon are the only ones who can shapeshift, and that means they are the only humans who can leave the palace. Where do you think you would be when you can look around the city as you please?"

Simon nodded. "I should have done the same. Rebecca's making us starve because of how slow she is."

Rebecca blushed, then shouted, "IF YOU WANT TO EAT SOMETHING GOOD, YOU HAVE TO WAIT!"

"Don't get so worked up. I was just teasing you." Simon then stood from the table.

Rebecca glanced over at him, wondering what he was doing. "Don't you want to eat?"

"Of course I want to eat, but shouldn't we warn them that Fulvio and Emily are missing?"

Leo agreed, "He's right, I can wait..."

Rebecca shoved him out. "Make it quick then! If my food turns cold, I won't forgive you!"

"That's really sad," Mark clearly lied. "Can I eat now? I'll do it for you, but mostly for my stomach."

"Get away from the dishes," the girl ordered threateningly..

Regretfully, he complied.

-

* * *

-

In the training hall, Shifu was teaching (after a long time) new lessons. Even if Po knew more than him about chi, he still was wiser and smarter. He could still come up with good ideas.

"Tigress, you have to cover your whole body with your chi!" The old master ordered everyone to do the same.

"Yes, Master!" She shined with gold light entirely.

"That's good. Now, everyone see that? You have to repeat!" He pointed his staff at Tigress as an example.

For Po and the Five, it wasn't that hard. They had been training for months and were able to control their chi quite well.

"Perfect. Now I want all of you to do the training course holding your chi state," the red panda explained. "Po! You will be the first."

Po was doing well, but maintaining that kind of exercise required focus, will power, and great resistance. One needs to keep control of their mind and body, doubling the effort. Po punched and dodged the barbed poles.

Simon arrived and saw the panda was training. He kept his volume low to be mindful of that. "Hey. We have a problem..."

Po instantly turned to him, ready to stop his training. However, Mantis leaped and landed on the ground between them. He raised his pincers encouragingly. "I bet it's nothing. Keep working, Po!"

The human grinned, ready to see their reactions after what the bug said. "Fulvio and Emily are missing. They're probably wandering around the village."

As he expected, all of them, shocked, surprised, and worried, turned to him. The crocodile smirked after seeing their faces filled with concern. Po, distracted by that news, got hit on the cheek from one of the spiked sticks he was punching. He spiraled to the ground.

Tigress ran outside. "We have to go. They could be in danger!"

'Emily, why would you do that?' Viper thought, slithering past the feline.

Shifu blocked Tigress and let Viper proceed. "If Emily and Fulvio are the missing ones, then only Viper and Po should go get them back."

Tigress tried to argue. "But they could―"

Shifu interrupted her by saying, "No, don't forget that there four more humans here in the palace. They all need protection. I don't want more surprises."

The Dragon Warrior stood up, recovering from the hit. "That's okay, Tigress. We got this."

As soon as they left, people from the village were screaming for help. Po walked back, remembering what they all heard, but he needed to be sure. "Are we still going alone or...?"

Shifu sighed. "This changes everything. The valley is under attack, and the two humans are there unprotected. Go! All of you!"

The six warriors left towards the village. Shifu and Simon walked back to the others in the dining hall. They quickly explained what was going on.

Mark raised an eyebrow, shocked. "What do you mean, 'They fight to protect the entire village'?"

"There's nothing to explain. Everything's clear in what Shifu said." Simon glared at him. "They are warriors. They fight and protect the people who live here. They would die in order to bring peace."

Mark blinked. That was unbelievable for someone who only cared about himself. "I'm trying to understand this friend thingy, then the family thingy as well, but I will never kill myself for someone else..."

"So what?" Simon commented coldly. "Since you don't care, everyone should do the same?"

Mark turned away. He was even more confused than before. "I didn't say that..."

Leo saw how brutal Simon was and decided to make things clearer and easier to understand. "Behind this choice isn't your mind, because everyone would look out for themselves. Behind this choice are your feelings."

Shifu listened to the entire conversation and waited until the end to do some specifications. "People may help you find the way, but only you can find the answers along the path you're walking."

Mark smiled awkwardly. "That was the least understandable thing I've ever heard since I've been here."

-

* * *

-

Rebecca discreetly left the dining hall, trying to catch up with Crane before he left. "WAIT! CRANE!" she called after him.

He was in midair already when he heard her voice, but turned back anyway. "What's wrong? I'm kinda in a hurry..."

"Bring me with you!" she yelled.

Crane landed, but not to do what she asked. "Don't be stupid. This is a deadly serious mission. You can't come with me," he scolded her.

"Please…" She kneeled down. "Leave me somewhere safe, anywhere! Just bring me with you..."

"I… I can't do that… You have to understand." The bird was struggling to say no, and the girl clearly saw that.

"Fine." She weirdly gave up and stood. "Then I'll go on my own as soon as you leave."

"Rebecca, please, you're making this harder..." Crane mumbled.

She crossed her arms impatiently. "And you're wasting time."

The bird sighed, lowering his body. "Ok, fine."

"Hurray!" She smiled happily before jumping on Crane.

"I should have known. That was just a trap." He flew away towards the village.

-

* * *

-

Meanwhile, the two fugitives were pretty close to where the bandits started their robberies.

"Emily, do you have any ideas?" Fulvio said to her, peeking outside to check the situation.

"You should have one! You are the one who wanted to come here!" she replied, scared.

Li Shan tried to calm them down. "Run away from the back-door. If they come here, I'll earn as much time as I can."

Fulvio nodded to him. "Thank you," he replied gratefully. He left, dragging Emily along.

On their way back home, Fulvio and Emily bumped into one of the crocodiles that popped out of nowhere. He quickly hid her behind his body as he did before. 'This is bad… This is REALLY bad,' he thought, shivering.

Fung arrived as soon as the crocodile called him. "Po. It's nice to see you." He mistook Fulvio for Po, not seeing his paws that were covering Emily on the back and clearly not looking at Fulvio's feet.

"Oh… I see you finally changed those awful pants you always wear. That blue looks way better." Gahri appeared behind Fung, appreciating his new style.

"Ugh… GAHRI, COULD YOU PLEASE STOP DOING THIS?!" Fung shoved Gahri away and turned back to who he believed was Po.

'I… I need to get away, but HOW?!' Fulvio was struggling to think of something, but he was too scared to do that.

Meanwhile, Fung grinned and thought to himself, 'Now, as Fenghuag asked, I have to waste as much time as I can. I'll let him chase me! It's brilliant!'

"You won't catch me so easily this time, Po! Guys, take everything and run!" He yelled to his friends and started to run away.

Fulvio blinked confused. 'Is he… running away?'

"What are you doing?!" Emily pushed him, whispering, "It's our chance. Who cares about him? Go!"

Fung ran for a while before actually checking if the panda was after him. He didn't understand what was going on! "When he has to do something, he doesn't! Darn it! Fenghuang will kill me," he exclaimed, smashing his helmet on the ground.

* * *

Po and the Five found the missing humans at the bottom of the thousand step

"Thank god you guys are safe!" Viper slithered to them and wrapped herself around Emily.

"I'm sorry I made you worry," the human girl replied sheepishly

"You're safe and sound. Forget about the rest." The snake then freed her.

"The next time, bring me with you, too!" Po complained.

Tigress glared at him, crossing her arms.

"I mean…" He cleared his throat. "We have to talk later!" he demanded, faking a serious voice.

Tigress rolled her eyes at the sky, giving up. "We have to go. There's still something that we have to care of." She pointed to Monkey. "Bring them back to the palace. We don't want more trouble."

Fulvio shapeshifted back into a human, and with Emily, they walked to Monkey. He grabbed them and climbed back to the palace as fast as possible. Emily thought about what happened before with the crocodiles, their weird behavior and reaction in front of Fulvio. Something seemed off, like they weren't doing what they actually came for.

"Here we are." Monkey dropped them close to the palace. "Please wait here. I have to go…"

"I'M AN IDIOT!" Emily shouted, enlightened. "MONKEY, STAY HERE!" she yelled back.

The simian tilted his head at her, confused. "Is something wrong?"

"The crocodiles were just a distraction to lure you all away from us!" she explained.

"And who made this plan? Fung?" he laughed, teasing her. "He isn't capable of something so complicated."

"Well… What can I say? You're both right!" Fenghuang arrived, landing in front of them.

"Little note for Emily." Monkey waited for her to turn towards him. "I hate when you're right."

Fulvio was freaking out. He was paralyzed by both shock and fear. The owl loomed over them all threateningly, and she clutched a contraption in her talons.

"Go inside! Fast! Call Shifu!" Monkey yelled at them. "I'll protect you!"

"Awww... That's so cute!" Fenghuang flew towards him, hitting him with her sharp claws. "But… Who's gonna protect YOU?!"

Emily was paralyzed. Fulvio pulled her towards the temple, but Fenghuang blocked their way. "Where are you going? You can't leave now! We're playing!" She grinned at them maliciously.

"Fight with someone on your level!" Monkey kicked her away, chasing her down.

"You are so annoying! I wanted to keep this for them, but I guess I have no choice!" She pulled out her gun and readied it. It brimmed with energy, until an arc of light struck Money's chest. He fell on the floor, unconscious. She hefted the gun triumphantly, but with a look of dismay on her face. "And now I have only three more... I'll make them be enough."

"Monkey!" Fulvio cried for help, desperately trying to call him back. "Please, wake up! We need you!"

"Nobody is going to save you anymore, kid. Now stay still and you won't suffer that much." She approached, holding the gun towards them.

Fulvio didn't know what to do. Fight back? Not even Monkey was able to win. Scream for help? He could lure all the humans outside; that's what Fenghuang wanted. Emily was too scared to do anything; she tightened her hand in his. He had to try! He shapeshifted again.

Fenghuang's eyes widened, surprised to see those powers already awakened. She was excited to see what he could actually do. "Oh… Are you going to fight me?" She laughed at him. "I guess it's alright to have some fun beforehand."

The owl flew towards him at high speed, scratching him everywhere. He was too slow to block her blows.

"That's all you've got?!" She seemed disappointed. "This is a waste of time if you can't fight back!" The villain glanced over to the other human. "Maybe I should give you an incentive..."

"NO!" He ran to Fenghuang. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" He grabbed her and threw her away with insane strength.

The owl got angry because of that and decided she would torture him. "How dare you to interfere!" she screeched, striking him everywhere. Her form nearly enveloped his, her wings beating against his body in order to disorient him.

He used his giant arms to block her attacks, but they still hurt really badly. However, he still endured everything. His voice rumbled defiantly from the depths of his chest. "DO WHAT YOU WANT TO ME, BUT DON'T TOUCH HER!" He swung his arms to push her away. Then as soon as she approached again to attack him, he punched her in the face.

Emily somehow woke from the frozen state she was in when Fenghuang crashed to the ground. She couldn't just stand there and watch him get killed for her. "SOMEBODY HELP US!" she screamed, using all of her strength.

Fenghuang was tired of playing. That girl was going to ruin her plans. The gun was pulled out and she pointed it at her. But Fulvio took her by surprise. He shielded her, taking the hit.

"FULVIO!" she cried out, panicking. Her arm outstretched even though it was too late.

The reaction was different this time. His body started to shine completely. The lights converged together, leaving his body. They curled into a solid sphere that fell on the ground, rolling away. Fulvio turned back into a human shortly after. His body fell to the ground. Cold… and lifeless.

"I'm so sorry…!" She ran to him, then held him in her arms. Her face was drawn into despair. Like a curtain closing on a tragic performance, her hair tumbled into her face. Her voice trembled. "This... is all my fault…!"

* * *

Inside the dining hall, some moments before that happened, the group heard Emily's scream.

"Was that Emily?!" Leo stood up, alarmed.

"Stay here. Don't move. I'll go to check on her," Shifu stated, walking outside.

"You won't go alone. I'm sorry." Simon followed him, even if he insisted on go there alone.

"Take care. I have a bad feeling about this," Leo warned them.

When they arrived, they saw Emily stumbling away with Fulvio's body and Fenghuang approaching them threateningly. She was clutching an odd white orb in her left wing and the gun in her right. Emily was slowly walking backwards until she reached the edge of the cliff.

"Dear, you can't escape anymore! Or… you could, but will you really jump?" She giggled, satisfied as she enjoyed this moment.

"Stop right where you are, Fenghuang!" Shifu threatened her. He raised his paw, intending to protect those he had granted sanctuary.

The owl realized that she hadn't much time left, but she still wanted to try to get another one. She shot another bullet towards them, trying to buy enough time to get the girl. Shifu and Simon dodged the laser, but she didn't care; she wasn't aiming at them. "You can't escape! Give up!" She flew closer to make sure that the last shot she had hit Emily.

'I won't waste your sacrifice! Not again!' Emily thought. She braced herself, then veered off the cliff, dodging Fenghuang's last bullet. The girl was clinging to the ledge, but she wasn't strong enough to stay there long or climb up again.

Fenghuang was mad. She was greedy. She wanted more! "So you like to be a heroine, huh?!" She shoved Fulvio off the cliff. "Then do things correctly!"

"NOOO!" She wouldn't let him die like that! With what little bit of strength she still had left, she leaped towards him. She did that without thinking, because she couldn't prevent him nor herself from falling to their death. "I'M SO USELESS… PLEASE FORGIVE ME…!" she cried, falling down.

Her chi stone began to shine. She shape shifted. Her new body was completely different. She was strong, resistant, and agile. Emily grabbed her friend and dug her claws into the wall, stopping their fall. She was now a ginger-furred fox, capable of saving her friends.

"Simon, get them!" Shifu ordered. "I'll take care of her." Shifu ran towards Fenghuang, but she wasn't going to fight anymore. She absorbed the chi extracted from the human, unleashing an insane power.

"This is incredible!" the owl gasped, grinning merrily. "That pathetic human was hiding THIS?! I was wrong. One is more than enough for me!" After throwing the broken gun at the red panda, she flew away. Shifu caught it and watched Fenghuang fly off into the distance. He couldn't do anything else.

"Grab my hand!" The crocodile handed over his paw, but wasn't long enough to reach her. He paused. "Uh… Wait, I have a better idea." He turned around lowering his tail instead, which was far longer than his paws. "Ok, I'm pulling you up," he said as soon as he felt her clinging on to it.

Shifu quickly checked Fulvio, who was still breathing, but... "This is peculiar." he commented. Then his eyes noticed the chi stone. It changed from green to black.

Emily had too many emotions in one single day. She turned back into a human, panting hard. Her necklace now had a fox shaped form. At the moment, though, the girl couldn't think about herself. "How is he?! Please tell me you can save him!"

The red panda didn't have the courage of telling her the truth. He turned his back to them and folded his arms. "Please bring him inside. I'll tell you everything later." The master then moved inside, expecting his pupils to do the same.

* * *

At the village, Crane dropped Rebecca on the roof of a house. "Wait here. Don't do anything! I'll come back as soon as I can."

"Okay, okay! No troubles here! I promise!" She smiled at him.

Crane reached the others that were already fighting and chasing the crocodiles.

"Fung! When will you learn?" Po scolded the crocodile. "You can't steal! Not under my watch!"

"I'm a bandit, duh! What else should I do?!" he replied, running away. "Guys, retreat!"

Mantis ran faster than everyone there. "Don't worry, I'll catch the big one!"

"Don't let them get away with the stolen goods," Tigress added, punching away some crocs.

It wasn't that hard to catch them all. Mantis tightened them up together. "I guess our job is done! You will go back to the prison for a bit. Again."

Crane had a weird feeling. "I don't know… Is that all? I'm feeling like we are missing something."

In that moment Fenghuang flew through, shining and laughing due to her evil achievement.

"And I called it," he added.

They saw that she was running away from the palace. That brought worry and concern upon the group. "We have to go back…" Po called.

"I was thinking the same." Tigress followed him.

Fung tried to struggle free, seeing the owl flee. "Come back! I helped you! Now save me!" He screamed to be noticed, but she straight-up ignored him.

"So you know her plan, right?" Viper questioned, glaring at him. "We should bring him with us. Forget about the other crocs."

The five agreed, wrapped Fung up, and headed back to the palace.

In the meantime, Crane headed back to Rebecca.

Rebecca was watching the whole thing from afar. Sitting on the edge of the roof, she thought, worried, 'How am I supposed to do that? I'm not a warrior. I'm the opposite…' She seemed really bothered by this revelation. 'Isn't there another solution to our problems? Are we forced to fight each other?' She grabbed her chi stone. 'Why am I here? Shouldn't you choose someone who can actually do this?'

"Rebecca!" Crane shouted to her. "I'm coming!"

She stood up and raised her head towards him. The girl waved her hand at him, telling him that everything was fine and nothing happened. Then, at an inopportune time, she slipped. "Ah?" she gasped. Her feet went out from under her. She was falling.

"REBECCA!" Crane shouted, flying faster to catch her.

"I COULD REALLY USE A PAIR OF WINGS RIGHT NOW!" she yelled, closing her eyes while falling.

Golden lights surrounded her. She found she wasn't falling anymore, "Why am I in midair?" Rebecca asked, turning around. A wing flitted into her vision, and then another. A realization dawned on her. She wasn't a human anymore. "Am I flying?" she gasped. "I'M FLYING! LOOK CRANE! I'M A BIRD!" She shapeshifted into a little white swan. Her chi stone now had the same form, and like the others, it was hanging around her neck.

"Take care! Flying is not that easy!" Crane warned her, approaching in the air.

"I don't think it's so complicated…" Rebecca underestimated it and, shortly after, was tired of all that flapping. She lost her balance and dipped down a bit. "Okay, never mind!"

He caught her. "Here. Let me show you."

"I'm really learning how to fly!?" she asked, awed. "This is a dream come true!" An excited laugh rang through the sky. She glided alongside Crane towards the palace, feathers bristling with anticipation. Now she could accompany him in the vast blue yonder.


	9. Face your pain Chapter 1, P6

Po and the four came back to the palace. Everyone gathered in the hallway outside of Po's room. Waiting for Shifu, the panda locked himself in, keeping the others out. They waited, telling each other what had happened so far.

"Crane, please go get Monkey," Tigress directed, "He should be somewhere outside the palace."

He was about to leave when Mark stopped him. "Please, let me go."

The bird glanced over to Tigress as if she had to tell him whether or not he could go. "When you find him, bring him back to his room. He needs to rest," she explained to the human.

Right after Mark's departure, Shifu showed up. "I'm afraid to tell you all that Fulvio is…"

"No…" Po figuratively melted. "Don't tell that he's dead…" He walked past his master and rushed inside.

"He's not dead," the red panda instantly clarified. "It's hard to explain what happened to him." He looked at them sadly, knowing how much pain it would cause once they heard the rest. "He's like an empty shell. His soul and his powers are inside Fenghuang's body."

Emily was dying; a sword pierced her body. The sword's name was guilt. "I should've helped him." Tears fell down her face. "Instead…I acted like a burden!" she yelled.

As long as they could get back what the owl stole, they would have been able to save their friend. Viper knew that and she tried to make Emily understand it. "Dear, it's not your fault. Everyone makes mistakes." In addition, she cuddled her, wrapping around the girl.

Emily instantly struggled free; that wasn't right for her. "I can't accept this." Despair showed upon her face. "MY MISTAKE MAY HAVE COST HIS LIFE!" The guilt she felt grew further when Emily saw Viper's hopes crumbling off her face, "I...I didn't mean to-" She couldn't even finish apologizing because the pain was unbearable, so the girl shapeshifted into a fox and ran away.

Viper tried to call her back, but it didn't work. Rebecca ducked down and said, "I'll go talk to her. Stay here..." Changing form into the swan, she changed formed into a swan.

* * *

The swan flew all around the area, but the only thing she saw was Mark still looking for Monkey. 'Where did she go...' she thought before hearing someone sob. Rebecca raised her head, searching higher. On top of the palace, barely visible, was the target.

"Emily! You have to calm down!" the bird commented, trying to land without hurting Emily and herself. "Watch out!" She lost balance and crashed against the wall right next to the fox.

If the fox wasn't so shocked and grieved she could have been laughing by now. "Leave me alone..." she demanded, hiding her head between her arms with ears lowered.

The bird sat next to her. "You're not the only one who wants to be by someone else's side you know..."

Emily raised her ears and head, recognizing that phrase. "You don't understand! I should have been the one to die..."

"He's not dead!" she pointed that out, feeling like Emily already gave up.

"It's like he is!" the fox argued, "How should I feel when you protect someone who's not worth protecting?"

The bird grabbed Emily's paws, forcing her to turn to face her. "Don't say that! What do you think he thought when he saved you?"

Emily wanted to let go, but something stopped her. She couldn't hold Rebecca's gaze. "He sacrificed himself for you. Are you going to waste it? You have to stand up now, gather your strength and keep going," Rebecca reassured.

"You wouldn't say that if you knew what-"

Rebecca hushed her. "Stop now. I understand it may be hard, but...you're not alone! Everyone's doing their best." Rebecca smiled, pointing out Mark as an example.

The dark skinned human finally found Monkey, who had been hiding behind a column next to the Hall of Heroes. "Don't worry, I've got you," Mark commented, carrying him inside. Luckily for him, Monkey wasn't heavy.

"I'm really proud of him," the swan commented. "He's been trying so hard to learn everything his life didn't give to him."

Emily wiped off her tears. "I know that look."

"W-What do you mean with that?"

"You like him, don't you?" the fox asked, trying to distract herself somehow.

"WHAT?!" Rebecca instantly blushed, turning away. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. I JUST MET HIM. HE'S A FRIEND."

Her not-suspicious-at-all reply made it even more obvious and the fox couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Do you think I'm blind? I saw how your eyes shined when your prince charming protected you inside the training hall."

Rebecca huffed, "I think you're fine. I'll head back now."

"Thank you though," Emily said, following her friend back to the palace.

* * *

Po didn't leave his room from the moment Shifu allowed them to see him. Just like Emily, he took full responsibility for what happened to Fulvio, torturing himself by thinking he didn't do enough; that he wasn't there for Fulvio when needed, that he had failed…as a friend.

"Po…" Tigress walked inside, checking on him.

"I'm…alright," the panda replied quietly. "I just need a moment…"

"It's nobody's fault," the feline added, concerned.

Po's mind brought him back to what they said to each other back at the restaurant, to the thousand steps. "I...didn't show you enough how much I care." The panda's face twisted, feeling the damages he couldn't prevent. "I'm a failure, Tigress. How am I supposed to protect all of China when I can't even protect my best friends?!"

"Remember what he did." Tigress patted his shoulder. "He acted just like you."

"I get it, but..."

"You know what we must do. I'll be waiting." She turned around and exited the room.

Po caressed the human. "Yes…I know. Friends help each other when they need it, right?" He was talking to Fulvio hoping that he, somewhere, was still able to hear him. "I'll save you, and that's a promise."

* * *

Meanwhile, Mark laid Monkey on his bed. 'I can't understand,' he thought, looking at him. "What's the point of this?"

Leo glanced inside. "How is he?"

"I guess he's fine… Mantis checked him some minutes ago; he's exhausted," Mark explained to him.

"I'm glad to hear that…"

"Why am I here? I'm not like you guys. I won't…ever kill myself for someone else's sake." Mark looked at him, thirsty for knowledge, but Leo couldn't provide any answer on what destiny decided for them.

"Do you think I was...prepared for this? Do you think the others were?" Leo said, feeling the weight of their roles in this world.

"Would you mind...helping me?" Mark asked, uncertain of what he wanted to achieve with that.

"I will be glad to show you the way..."

Shifu walked inside, therefore interrupting their conversation. "Leo. I have a favor to ask of you."

"A favor?" he repeated, surprised. "For me?"

The red panda handed over the weapon Fenghuang dropped. "It's about this."

"This is..." He looked at it thoroughly. "The chi extractor she used, right?"

"If something takes away, that something can give back, too," Shifu explained, "Mantis told me that you are capable of-"

"Yes, I think I can do it," the human cut in.

"Perfect. Now we only need to get some information out of that crocodile," Shifu exclaimed while rubbing his chin, then left the room.

"I'm sorry, Mark." Leo tilted his head. "We'll talk later. I have a weapon to fix."

* * *

"Fung, tell us, what's her plan? How did she get that gun?" Viper questioned.

"I know nothing. My mouth's shut." The crocodile turned his face away.

"Don't test me. I never had a good patience against the likes of you." Mantis glared at him, ready to kick his butt.

"And what would you do to me?" Fung taunted them, challenging the bug.

The bug jumped up, landing a hit on his face. "It's always relieving when you hurt someone who deserves it."

"A punch won't be enough to make me talk!" he replied, acting tough, but Fung was clearly suffering for what he did.

"Did he talk?" Shifu arrived, checking the situation.

"I'm sorry, Master. He's not cooperating," Viper explained.

"Are we sure that crocodile is Fung? He usually gives up easily," Mantis asked, mocking him.

"Hey! You tied me up, but I can still hear everything!"

"I understand." The red panda nodded. "We can't force him to talk. Leave him alone; now only time can help him understand the right thing to do."

Mantis and Viper blinked, confused. 'Isn't it important to find out Fenghuang's plan?' They both thought, but did what he asked and left with him.

As soon as they walked outside the room, Simon, who was waiting there on Shifu's request, shapeshifted into the crocodile and took their place inside.

"Oh…" Viper realized. "You always have a backup plan, huh?"

"Fight fire with fire," the red panda wisely replied.

"Or a crocodile with a crocodile." Mantis grinned.

"So..." Simon said, luring attention to him. "You are the famous bandit that everyone is talking about?" Simon added, stopping in front of him.

"Famous?" He winced. "Oh…yeah…I'm popular!" Fung mumbled proudly. "Wait, I've never seen you before!" He examined the weird, black figure.

"What's wrong? You can't even recognize someone from your species?" Simon moved closer allowing the crocodile to see him better.

Fung's eyes widened, seemingly recognizing someone more than familiar. "You're a crocodile!"

"Thanks for telling me. I didn't know."

"Duh! I mean, you should stay by my side!" he shouted. "Come on! Free me and leave this place."

"I'm not like you." He showed some hatred. "The only thing you want is this, right?" He threw a bag filled with juans at his feet.

"What's this for?" Fung peeked inside as far as he could to look at the money.

"You're a thief, right? If that's what you want, I'll give 'em to you if you tell me everything."

"No money can buy my life." Fung couldn't stop thinking about the owl and her possible reaction.

Simon lifted up him, something triggered him. "Listen carefully: a boy is going to die because of you. The only thing I want to know from you is Fenghuang's plan. We will even set you free. No prison for you."

Fung started to think about it, but still refused.

"I'm sorry. I thought that for just one time in your life, you could've been something more." Simon dropped the crocodile, setting him free.

Fung blinked at him, surprised. That was an outcome he didn't expect.

"Go away!" The black crocodile shoved him out. "We don't need you." The he turned his back to him.

"Fenghuang is heading back to Taotie because she wants another gun. You could go and get her before it's too late." Fung didn't know why he said the truth; a weird feeling led him to.

Simon grinned, pointing at the bag he left behind. "You can keep the money. It's not mine." Then laughed louder, thinking about the real owner.

"Of course I'll keep it!" he muttered back. "This is not a gift! I stole this!" Fung commented proudly.

"Yeah, sure," Simon replied coldly again. "You evil croc, how dare you to do such a thing..."

Fung was heading outside when he suddenly stopped; Simon stood there knowing that something was wrong, "Can I...know your name?"

His serious expression crumbled hearing that out-of-place question. "It's Simon."

"Good to know," The crocodile commented. "I don't think this will be our last time meeting. We will see each other again."

'We will,' Simon thought watching him leave. 'I saw your reaction. There's something you know about me, about this crocodile.' He turned back into a human.

* * *

In the Hall of Heroes, the ones who were still able to fight gathered at Shifu's request, sharing the new information they learned.

"We still have some time." Simon restated what Fung said to him. "I really want to kick her butt."

Simon's necklace was shining, ready to unleash his full potential, but Shifu pointed his staff at him, stopping him from shapeshifting. "I'm sorry, but this isn't a fight you can join."

"What?!" Emily walked past the others and faced their master. "I need to go! He is-"

"This is for your own good," the red panda cut in, "That weapon is too dangerous for you. I let my guard down. I thought nobody knew about you, but I was wrong. Because of me, the village, my students, and you could get hurt."

"You don't understand! This is important..." She tilted her head, begging.

Shifu walked past, ignoring her, and pointed to his students with his staff. "Po, Tigress, Viper and Crane. You are our only hope. You have to capture Fenghuang and bring her back. Leo is working on the weapon she left."

Leo was so focused on his work that he didn't listen to what they were saying. "Hand me the screwdriver," he said to Mantis.

"He's trying to modify the gun; it will undo what Fenghuang did to Fulvio," the bug explained to him, handing over the tool he requested.

"I'm sorry, Shifu, but I can't stay here watching them fix my mistake..." Emily added, turning into the fox.

The red panda's eyes shot open. "You are forbidden to leave the palace!" he ordered, but was more worried than angry.

The fox hesitated for some seconds then attempted to run away. Shifu caught her, throwing her back inside.

"I HAVE TO GO! YOU CAN'T KEEP ME IN HERE LIKE SOME SORT OF PRISONER!" she cried out.

"STOP BEING SO STUBBORN. FENGHUANG MAY HAVE TAKEN A SECOND GUN. I CAN'T LET YOU GO." He pushed her on the ground with his wooden staff.

It wasn't the right moment for a quarrel, but nobody was going to give up. "Please stop…" Po intervened, walking between them. "I know you want to protect them, but she also wants that. I understand it may sound like a bad idea, but I think she should go."

"We will keep her safe. I promise on my life." Tigress swore, supporting her friend.

Viper smiled. "I won't let anyone touch her unless it's me."

Simon decided to use his own lessons against their master. "Isn't this a reason to fight? That's what you told us. I really wanted to go as well, but someone here has a stronger motivation..."

The red panda sighed, admitting defeat. "Fine. If you wish to go I will not stop you, but please take care of yourselves."

"Don't worry, Master! Nothing will stop us!" Po shouted, running away. "Follow me!"

"Po…that's the wrong way…" Crane replied, embarrassed for him.

"I knew that!" he mumbled. "Uh…can you tell me where the right way is?" His face turned red.

Tigress chuckled. "Give me your hand. I'll show you a shortcut."

As soon as Po did, she lifted him up and threw him down the thousand steps.

Emily blinked, confused, and cringed hearing his shouts. "Why would you do that?"

"That's something Fulvio would have done." She grinned. "I thought it would have been a good idea to cheer him up."

"I...don't get it," the girl admitted. "But if you say so..."

"Don't worry too much. He's tough. Sometimes actions are better than words."


	10. Who's smartest? Chapter 1, P7

Leo was working on the gun. Mantis and Mark were close by, helping, and Simon was chilling on the floor.

"This is an incredible handmade work…" Leo stated, analyzing the weapon. "And this smell..." He sniffed it. "I like it. It means it's a recent creation!"

Mark looked at him, scared. "Stop contemplating his work! That's not why they entrusted you with the weapon."

Leo laughed awkwardly. "I know, it's just I really like everything that's mechanical..."

Mantis changed the topic. "How much longer is this going to take?" he asked, moving the toolbox closer to him.

Leo searched inside, pulled out a wrench, and opened the gun. "I guess a couple of hours… It seems to be in good shape, so, luckily, I don't have extra repairs to do."

"Can't you do it faster?" Mantis hurried. "Who knows what will happen if this gun hasn't been fixed yet?"

"I understand that," the human replied quietly. "But I can't work miracles."

Time went by, and as the others watch him working, Leo didn't show hesitation or worry, giving the others positive vibes that everything was going smoothly. "Time for good news." Mantis climbed on his shoulder, hoping to hear something good.

He smiled. "If someone stops annoying me every moment I'll be able to finish in a couple of hours."

Mantis saw him sealing the weapon; that's why he asked. "But..isn't it-"

"The weapon? Yes, it is." Leo cut in. "That wasn't the hardest part..." he sighed, showing them what he had inside her pocket, wrapped around a handkerchief.

Mantis and Mark stared at it very closely, trying to understand what that was. "Is it a bullet?" they asked.

Leo nodded. "Yes. This is the one that hit Fulvio." He moved it around, showing them that it was broken; totally useless.

"If we don't have any ammo, how can we save him?" the bug asked.

"I saw a laser back there when Fenghuang tried to get me as well," Simon commented, hearing their conversation. "How's it possible that there's a bullet..."

Leo's eyes shined, ready to explain how the weapon worked. "This little capsule created an electric area around itself. When shot, the bullet is so fast that we perceive some sort of laser..." He continued adding details over details until Simon stood up to cover his mouth.

"I think I get it, thanks." He frowned, annoyed.

Mark laughed. "He's such a nerd."

Leo moved Simon's fang away. "Sorry, I got carried away." Then he glanced over the broken bullet, sighing, "If only I had a better bullet, I could finish way faster."

The crocodile's eyes widened, remembering something. "Maybe we can find another one."

"It's not like you can find them anywhere," Mantis joked.

Simon rose an eyebrow. "Fenghuang shot three times since she got here."

Mark remembered where and when. "He's right; she used it against Monkey and Fulvio, then she missed trying to get Shifu or Simon."

"At least someone here has a brain," the crocodile commented sarcastically.

"Hey, I couldn't know that," Mantis muttered.

Simon turned his back to them, heading outside. "Mantis, come with me. We'll look for the bullet she missed on me." He stopped right before the exit. "Mark, you should get the one stuck on Monkey. Who knows? It may be useful."

* * *

Po, Tigress, Viper, Crane and a fox were on their way to Taotie's house in the middle of the bamboo forest.

"Hey, Emily...you okay?" Crane saw her looking kinda lost, meaning something still bothered her. She hadn't talked at all from the moment they left the palace.

The girl nodded, uncertain, to not cause more problems for them. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Soon we will be there," Viper reminded them, but mostly the fox. "Get ready."

Po suddenly stopped, causing a reaction until everyone reached him. "I'm tired..." He panted heavily, falling on the ground. "I need a break."

"We're almost there," Tigress commented. "I thought you stopped to prepare some sort of plan."

"Oh..." Po stood up, thinking. "We could go there in stealth mode and..."

"It's a shame that both Monkey and Mantis are not here," Crane commented sarcastically.

"Uh? Why?" Po rose an eyebrow. "Isn't it a good idea?"

"It is," Tigress continued. "I'm not sure about you doing it, that's all."

"Are you talking about what happened in Gongmen city?" He blushed, turning away.

"That was your first and last time I've ever allowed you do that," Tigress specified.

"I...I won't do that again," the Dragon Warrior mumbled. "A friend's life is at stake this time."

"Let's just send Viper to look around the place first," Tigress suggested, glancing at the leaving serpent.

The feline, hiding in a bush, followed her friend with her eyes. Everything seemed too quiet. Fenghuang should have been here already, but they didn't meet her on their way to the forest. She must be here. Viper reported the same things Tigress noticed, more or less.

"There's something odd in here..." Tigress commented, rubbing her chin.

"It may be a trap..." Crane suggested. "She saw us capturing Fung, so she's waiting for us somewhere, ready to attack when our guards are lowered."

"So what are we going to do? Sit here and do nothing?" Po asked impatiently.

"I saw that someone broke down the entrance," Viper added.

"Do you think Fenghuang forced Taotie to work for her?" Tigress guessed.

"Yes, there's no other reason to do so." The serpent nodded.

"Ok, it's time to check it out directly," the feline said, heading towards the house.

"Finally..." Po commented, relieved. "I couldn't take it anymore..."

Tigress walked inside, checking carefully if the owl was there, but nothing was weird; however, there were many surprises around. Taotie's body was found on the ground. She turned around, sending a signal with her paw. After that everyone joined her.

Viper slithered next to her. "What happened?" Then she saw the warthog. "Is he okay?" The snake put her head against his body, worried. "Luckily he's only unconscious."

Po ran past them, lifted him up and shook him several times. "Hey, wake up! Did Fenghuang hurt you? We need your help!"

Crane reached out to him. "Po, don't do that. It's not healthy to agitate someone who's unconscious like that."

Po lowered him down. "Sorry, I thought it would have helped somehow."

Taotie slowly opened his eyes. "Po is that you?" he mumbled, his vision still blurry, but anyone could have recognized Po's shape.

"Uh...yes, sorry about before." The giant panda smiled awkwardly.

"What are you talking about..." he commented, confused, then looked around, seeing the other masters. "What are you doing here?" His voice was very low, he could barely hold himself. Something must have happened.

"We're here because of what you built for Fenghuang." Tigress glared at him, ready to punish him.

That phrase called back the warthog's memories. "That stupid owl! She stole my beautiful work, and then used it against me!"

The fox approached him, having an idea. "And...would you like to get your revenge?"

He laughed. "I don't know you, but if you're here that means she won; there's nothing I can do."

"I don't think so," Emily insisted. "I had an idea, but you must be willing to cooperate with us to make it work."

"Why would I help my enemies like that?!" Taotie complained. "I really don't care what happens to you."

The fox frowned. "You are too farsighted to understand what happened, but not enough to understand what will."

"She'll come back. Are you ready to take her on by yourself?" Tigress crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"A-Alone?!" Taotie shivered. "You're here, you'll help me! That's your job after all."

"I usually help anyone in need, but...you made a mess and the least you could do is redeem yourself," Po added.

"Alright, consider this a truce; Fenghuang has to pay." The warthog nodded. "What's the plan?"

Emily gathered everyone around and explained, shortly, what she had in mind. They seemed to like what she thought.

* * *

Mark headed back to Leo first; his task was easier and quicker. He had to examine Monkey's body, not an entire area.

"How did it go?" Leo lowered down the weapon to look at him.

"That was easy," the man stated proudly.

Leo smile, taking the bullet from his hand, yet his smile disappeared and a disappointed look replaced it. "Sorry. This isn't worse than the one I have, but...it won't work."

"I tried..." Mark commented. "Let's hope Mantis and Simon will find a better one."

"I heard my name. What were you talking about?" Simon said, walking inside.

"I literally just called you."

"So? Did you find it?" Leo raised his head.

"There's nothing around the palace," Simon explained. "But I remember which direction the bullet took when we dodged it, and sent Mantis there to check it out."

Leo nodded. "Okay, thank you for trying." Then he searched for one specific tool among the others in the box Mantis left. He pulled out a hammer, placed the bullets they had gathered on the table, and smashed them into pieces.

"What are you doing now?" Mark questioned, watching his friend work.

"I don't know if Mantis will eventually find it," he said, gathering some specific elements that came out of the destroyed bullets with the pliers. "So I'm preparing a new bullet using what I have. It'll take much more time, but it's better than nothing."

"I heard that you fixed the training course before, then you fixed a weapon you had never seen, and now you're crafting new bullets out of broken ones," Simon said nonchalantly, "Are you some sort of mechanical prodigy or...?"

Leo laughed, covering the fact that he was blushing. Then his expression quickly shifted into a sad one; a painful memory had come forth. "Thanks to my family I have a good amount of knowledge." He picked up the broken shells and cleaned them, "Medicine, physics, mechanics, languages..."

"Do you know all of those?" Mark questioned, tilting his head. "I barely know my name..."

"Your family must have considered your education to be really important..." the crocodile pointed out, leaning against the closest wall.

"Probably more than me..." he whispered.

"What did you say?" Mark moved closer.

"No-Nothing!" Leo mumbled. "I was...judging how good the shells are! Even if Mantis won't find the bullet, everything's going good, isn't it?"

"Leo," Simon called him to draw his attention to him. "Who taught you those things?"

"I had, like, ten private tutors. One for each subject I needed to learn."

"What do you mean private? Are you saying that they were coming to your house?" Mark looked confused. "Didn't you go to school?"

"I went to school for a short period, but my father thought it wasn't what he was looking for..." he suddenly stopped. "Why are we even talking about this?" Leo commented shyly. "It doesn't matter now..."

Simon rubbed his chin, spotting something odd in what he said. "Usually every kid is forced to go school unless under special conditions. What are you hiding? Teachers who were coming to your house, just for you?"

Mark's eyes shined with excitement. "Are you some sort of celebrity?!"

Leo winced hearing him, then laughed. "I'm just an ordinary boy; I'm no different from you."

"Leo, stop lying. I saw your manners, your composure, how everything must be perfectly placed and in order..." While Simon listed down the things he saw, Leo started to sweat.

"Just...don't look at me differently once I tell you, okay?" He sighed, looking away.

"JUST TELL US!" Mark shouted.

"I come from a very rich family and..."

Mark instantly stopped him. "Do you have a mansion?!"

"Uh...yes...?" Leo walked back slightly, nodding.

"A POOL?!"

"Sort of..."

"BUTLERS WHO DO EVERYTHING YOU ASK?!"

"I usually prefer to do things on my own, even if my father forces me to..."

"What?! You're serious?! I would love to have someone who does everything for me!" Mark giggled.

"Thanks for respecting what I asked about not looking at me differently," Leo sighed again.

"What's the point?" Mark questioned, confused. "You can do whatever you want yet you care more about what the others think of you."

"You can't understand...you have something I'll never get..."

"That's kinda impossible since I have nothing..." Mark crossed his arms, waiting to hear what he could possibly have.

"The freedom. You are free."

That answer caught him off-guard. "Well...aren't you?"

"It's been twenty years since my father sealed me inside our mansion, creating a son who would be worthy of something important in the future," he explained, depressed. "I just want to go outside, meet people, make friends and to travel… I'd like so much to take my plane and just leave, but people look at me like I'm different, like I'm from another world."

"Do you hear him?" Mark whispered to Simon. "He has a plane, too!"

"Okay, I get it." Leo resumed his work on the weapon.

"Unfortunately, there isn't a perfect life," the crocodile admitted, "Good things will always bring bad ones. You have to live with them, otherwise you'll never be happy."

Leo didn't stop working, nor did he look at him to reply, but he smiled and understood.

* * *

"How long this will take?" Crane whispered to Tigress. They were hiding among the bushes outside Taotie's house again.

"Fenghuang could come at any moment, so be ready," Tigress repeated.

"Okay, I get that, but it's been so long," Po complained. "I bet she went somewhere to eat first." His stomach agreed, grumbling. "I should have done the same."

"That's stupid. She would never-" Crane was denying what Po stated, but Tigress hushed the duo. Fenghuang's flapping noise was heard, but the owl couldn't be seen. She lowered down in the bush even more, pushing her friends along.

"HEY TAOTIE!" the owl shouted, landing in front of the house. "I'm back! Hope you've prepared another weapon for me!"

Tigress, Crane and Po shared glances with each other. They were asking when they should attack. Fenghuang was walking inside, but right on the edge she stopped and looked around.

"Did she see us?" Po whispered.

"If you weren't shaking so much maybe we could have done it better," Crane muttered, trying to keep his voice as low as possible.

The owl kept walking inside while they followed her. Viper was ready from the inside to make Fenghuang fall, but she stepped on her. "Do you really think that I didn't notice you, little snake?"

Viper screamed in pain, trying to struggle free. The others, hearing her cry, instantly rushed to help. The owl raised the serpent with her fangs and threw her at them. Crane and Tigress ducked down while Po got hit by his friend.

Fenghuang was able to dodge and block every attack as if she wasn't even trying. She punched Crane in the face and kicked Tigress in the stomach, pushing them both away. "I'm sorry, I can't play with you right now. I have an important date I can't miss." The owl laughed, disappearing inside.

"Wake up you useless pig." She lifted Taotie up, shaking him violently. "You rested enough for today. Now you have to work!"

"Hey!" Emily showed herself, even though her friends prohibited her to fight. "Put him down!"

Fenghuang turned, surprised to see her, but happy at the same time. "Oh...that's very nice of you. You spared me the time to look for you. I thought you weren't so stupid as to come to me so easily."

The very same feeling that stopped her before showed up again; Emily froze. Fenghuang's presence was enough to stop her completely like there was nothing she could have done.

"EMILY!" Viper screamed, reaching for her. Shortly after the others shielded her as well.

"We won't let you touch her," Tigress growled.

"Now give back the chi you stole!" Po added.

"You mean..." Fenghuang surrounded herself with a green aura. "This one?"

Po nodded naively. "Yes, exactly! That one! Give it back."

"That's why she didn't show up before," Tigress commented. "She wanted to train."

"I really appreciate when you assume things on your own, you know. I don't need to explain." Fenghuang smiled, flying at them.

As soon as she used her chi aura, her movements became faster, her attacks stronger. Nobody was able to get her. They imitated her, showing off their training, yet everyone activated a golden aura while only Fenghuang had a green one.

Viper wrapped around Fenguhang's claws, forcing her to fly. Otherwise she would have fallen. Crane flew behind her, holding her wings. When Po and Tigress headed to her, trying to land the finishing blow, Fenghuang's aura grew bigger, setting her free. The panda crashed against a wall with a kick to the face. Then the owl punched Tigress in the face as well, stepping over her.

"Now...where was I?" She looked around, trying to find the fox, as if she didn't know exactly where they were.

Crane and Viper stood up again. The owl grabbed Viper, wrapped her like some sort of ball and threw her into Crane's face. As soon as the bird moved away, Fenghuang was ready to punch his body as hard as she could. Everyone's aura disappeared.

"I really can't believe how easy this fight was." Fenghuang cleaned her wings, approaching the prize she earned. "You really don't understand what kind of power lies within you, but don't worry. I do." Ready to steal her chi, the fox was lifted as they headed to Taotie.

Emily tried to struggle free, but how could she? She didn't know anything about fighting.

"Let her go!" Viper slowly stood up again, weak yet unable to stay still.

"Get out of my way." She was kicked aside.

"Emily..." Viper breathed out, slithering towards the owl.

"You're pathetic, stop doing that. What can you do?" Fenghuang kicked her again. "I defeated everyone at the same time. There's nothing you can do."

The serpent didn't want to give up! "I told her that everything..." she panted, "-was going to be fixed, that we would save him."

"Shut up, I don't care." She kicked her harder, hoping to knock her out definitely.

Those words and what happened struck Emily hard. Deep, deep down within, something moved and replied to her cry for help. Her necklace glowed even brighter than it usually did. "What the...?" The owl walked backwards, surprised. The fox who was in her wing just a second ago had disappeared.

"I can't take it anymore! You're so cruel and cold. You hurt my friends, I'll never forgive you." Emily voice echoed through the house; the owl couldn't identify precisely where she was.

"And what are you gonna do about it?" Fenghuang grinned, challenging her.

The fox appeared right in front of her like she was there all along. At first, Fenghuang seemed surprised, but soon enough she went to punch her and her wing went through Emily's body. "WHAT?!" She moved her wing in and out of the fox that was just an illusion.

The real fox appeared behind her, kicking her head. The villain's head slammed on the floor.

"How dare you?! Pulling off such dirty tricks." She stood up, ready to avenge herself, but just like before her punch missed and the illusion disappeared.

Six of Emily's clones surrounded the owl; she wasn't able to understand which one was real or not. She unleashed her chi trying to eliminate them all at once.

Po, Crane and Tigress stood up again and saw, amused, what Emily was doing. They had never seen such a particular and unique way to use chi, if that was chi. Regaining their bearings, they ran towards the owl once more. Fenghuang was too confused to focus on everyone; they were finally able to put her down.

"Seems like you've lost." Tigress grinned.

"Don't be so sure about that," the owl threatened.

Tigress' eyes shot open, knowing that she was up to something. The feline grabbed her friends and moved away as Fenghuang created some sort of explosive aura that didn't destroy anything around itself, but wounded every warrior with an active chi around it. The damages weren't serious thanks to Tigress, but they were all wounded and weakened from the fight.

"Isn't it amazing?" the owl laughed. "I can even heal myself!" She stood up like nothing ever happened to her.

Emily was still hiding somewhere, but her clones disappeared. Fenghuang quickly turned her head in the opposite direction, glaring towards the nothingness, then grabbed something who wasn't visible and tried to crush it. "So that's what you can do," the owl commented, enjoying her screams. "Even if you can turn invisible, I was still able to hear your footsteps."

The others tried once again to help her. Fenghuang threw Emily against them. "It's been fun, I really enjoyed it, but it's time to end this." She glowered at them, smiling. "I won the game."

The fox panted heavily. Her necklace stopped shining; everything seemed lost. "We knew all along we couldn't stop you..."

Something behind the owl moved, but she didn't notice.

"I technically won from the beginning." Emily raised her paw.

Fenghuang looked at her, confused. The truth reached her brain too late. She turned around just to see Taotie shooting at her with another gun. "THAT'S FOR MY HOUSE!" the warthog screamed right before she passed out.

"It's over…" Emily sighed, lying on the ground as if it were a bed.

The others slowly stood up again, except for Viper. "Shouldn't Fulvio's chi be on the ground or something?" Po questioned, ready to bring back his friend.

"This is the first prototype of my weapon." The warthog showed it proudly. "Unfortunately this only works as a stun gun. Now get that stupid bird and leave this place!"

Po started to tie her up. "We'll bring her back to the palace before she wakes up."

"I just hope Leo's done…" Tigress added, worried. "Crane, fetch Viper and fly back to the palace. Bring Emily with you. We'll catch up later."


	11. Triumph Chapter 1, P8

Crane was carrying Emily and a wounded snake back to the palace, flying as fast as he could.

"Viper..." Emily sighed, worried, holding her friend close. "I hope you'll forgive me... I let everyone down..."

Crane complained; he couldn't tolerate how much she blamed herself. "Don't be. You did something great. We're proud of you."

The fox slightly raised her head from Viper. "I believe I could have done more..."

"Wasn't what you showed us today enough?" the bird muttered, "You turned invisible, then the clones...was that a chi technique? Where did you learn it?"

"Thank you, but it wasn't me..." She removed her necklace and showed it to him. "That's what saved us..."

Crane tilted his head. "Maybe it is, but your love triggered it."

Emily smiled, putting her stone on. "Thank you."

* * *

Meanwhile, Po and Tigress were moving an unconscious Fenghuang. They tied her up against a log and the two warriors carried her, holding the edges.

The panda panted, trying to get a break. "I always hated weight lifting!"

"You can't do anything that involves climbing or lifting; this time you have to strive!" Tigress mocked him, accelerating. It forced Po to move faster.

"That's not it!" Po mumbled, "The only things I've done these days was carrying around people and excessive amounts of food. I deserve some rest..."

Tigress chuckled. "I would have carried her alone, but you saw it..." The owl turned out to be weirdly heavier than she was. "Maybe that gun wasn't just a stun gun as he called it..."

"Taotie said it was a prototype, but who knows. He could have lied..." Po breathed out, trying to keep up.

* * *

"Look what I found!" Mantis shouted, walking inside the training hall. He handed over a little, slightly damaged, white ball.

Leo widened his eyes. "That's it! This is perfect!" He quickly grabbed it, opened it, and checked inside.

"So...how long it will take?" the bug asked again, seeing his friend ignoring them.

"Ten minutes." Leo muttered, shoving him away. "Let me finish..."

Rebecca walked inside, handling a ladle. "Hey guys..." she stepped closer shyly. "Sorry about...going away without telling you anything."

They didn't listen and didn't notice her approaching. "HEY LISTEN TO ME!" she shouted.

Leo raised his eyes, then quickly moved them back to the bullet. The others turned their faces at her, confused about what she was doing. "Is something wrong?" Mark asked.

"I have a better question," Simon cut in, "What were you doing with that thing?"

The girl didn't know what he meant, then she glanced at her hand. "Oh...I thought I laid it down..." She tilted her head. "Forget about it. I wanted to apologize. I kinda freaked out and left, but now I feel better."

"Were you cooking again?" the brown skinned human asked, turning to face Leo. "We skipped breakfast, so..."

"That's the only thing you care about!" Rebecca huffed, upset. "But...yeah. I usually cook to chill down..."

"Don't blame yourself for leaving," Simon added coldly, "You wouldn't be useful in this situation." Rebecca seemed offended, but the human hadn't finished speaking. "At least you did something to help us all."

The girl frowned, not sure how she should have taken it. "Uh...thanks?"

"So? What did you cook for us this time?" Mark smirked, heading over to her.

Rebecca smacked his hand with the ladle. "I didn't cook for you," she clarified, "I prepared them for my injured friends."

"I AM injured!" he said, showing his recently wounded hand.

"That doesn't count." She smiled nonchalantly. "Has Leo finished?" Rebecca asked, peeking on her friend's work.

"Please stop..." Leo begged, "Once I've finished I'll tell you."

Simon couldn't hold himself back and mocked him. "Is it done now?" Then laughed looking at his annoyed face.

"Not funny," he commented coldly, putting the bullet inside the weapon.

* * *

Crane and Emily were the first ones to arrive. The fox headed towards Viper's room to let her friend rest; then they headed to the training hall.

"GUYS!" she screamed while walking in. "THE WEAPON! IS IT READY?"

As soon as they saw them, Rebecca ran to hug her friend. "You okay? Did you get her? Where are the others?" The girl machine-gunned Emily with questions.

"We did our part..." Emily commented, struggling free. "That's what matters now."

"What happened?" Simon instantly questioned, but it sounded more like a demand. He needed to know how it went.

Crane commented, reluctantly, "It didn't go as well as planned, but...Po and Tigress will be soon here with Fenghuang."

Emily went towards Leo, eager to know if everything was ready. "Leo."

He sighed, trying to not rage on her. "The bullet is done, the weapon as well. I'm checking if everything is in order."

"Ok, thank you Leo." She nodded, stepping away.

Mark complained, "You aren't fast enough. That's what happens when someone takes it easy."

Leo snapped, "I'M DOING MY BEST HERE! I WON'T STAY HERE ANY LONGER LISTENING TO YOUR WORTHLESS ACCUSATIONS ABOUT MY WAY OF WORKING!"

Simon chuckled in the background while the others looked at him, surprised. "The weapon is ready," Leo added, recovering his composure and talking like nothing happened in the meantime.

"Leo..." Mark said, pointing at his stone.

"I guess I went too far," he admitted, thinking that reaction was for his behavior. "You don't understand how hard it is to do such-"

"What are you talking about?" Mark cut in, "Your necklace, Leo, was shining some seconds ago before turning off."

"R-REALLY?!" he mumbled enthusiastically, looking at his stone, but so much excitement distracted him and the weapon slipped.

Time froze and everyone was looking at the falling gun; if it broke, they wouldn't be able to save Fulvio and bring things back to normal.

"If it so important to you then you should be careful with it, am I right?" Mark said, catching the weapon with a nonchalant expression, as if he didn't even think that it could have been broken.

Everyone felt relieved that nothing happened and Rebecca hugged him happily. "Thank god you saved us."

"Did I?" Mark blinked, confused.

"I'll wait for them outside..." Crane explained, "They'll probably need some help climbing back here with Fenghuang."

Simon followed the bird. "Coming."

Mantis wanted to come along, but Rebecca grabbed him. "Sorry, but I need your help now."

The bug wanted to struggle free, but he had a feeling that he couldn't oppose her request. "This is kidnapping! Hey! I want to help differently! Not by cooking or playing doctor!"

* * *

Po and Tigress were on the middle of the thousand steps; the Dragon Warrior couldn't continue and Tigress was trying to return on her own.

"I'm coming Tigress!" he shouted, panting heavily. His body was soaked completely in sweat.

"I know it's getting harder..." she added, "Her body is getting heavier. I need your help..."

"PO! TIGRESS!" Crane shouted as soon as he found them, landing next to his friends.

Simon got off Crane and reached Po. "Okay, get up. We're here now."

They lifted Fenghuang up together and climbed back to the palace.

"WHY IS SHE SO HEAVY?!" Simon cried out, surprised.

"It's probably the chi she absorbed. Maybe it's fighting back somehow?" Po guessed, panting.

Tigress noticed the owl moving. "She's waking up! We have to bring her to Leo."

Crane tied her against a column while the others called their friends who were waiting inside the training hall.

Tigress headed outside, ready to shoot her. "Time to end this." She aimed at Fenghuang and clicked, but nothing came out. "What's wrong?!" She checked the weapon to witness some lights appearing. It was charging.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't do better with the time I had," Leo explained, "We have only one chance and it takes three minutes to load."

She threw the weapon back to him. "Then this is your call."

"What?!" Leo commented, shocked, "I can't do it!"

"You have to, I can't-"

"Tigress!" Po called her, seeing the owl waking up.

"CRANE, SIMON, EMILY! WE HAVE TO HOLD HER!" Tigress ordered, running back to Po.

Fenghuang woke up and the first thing she saw was a human holding the gun, now pointed at her, she had thrown away. "Don't you da-" She wanted to move, to catch him and probably get the weapon, but as soon as she tried she realized the others holding her back. "LET ME GO!"

"You wish!" Po grinned.

The owl glowed again with her green aura, ready to push everyone out of her way, but they had already seen that attack. Crane, Po, Tigress and Emily moved away as Tigress dragged Simon along. This time her explosion didn't hit anyone, but she was free. Fenghuang flew straight at Leo.

"No you don't!" Po kicked her away. Leo slowly inhaled, shaking completely seeing that scene so close.

The owl planted her claws on the ground, stopping her slide. "You'll pay for this!" She slashed several times against the panda with her claws everywhere until he kneeled down, hurt and weakened. She finished by kicking him back towards a column.

"PO!" Tigress painfully called his name, running to him. "Are you alright? Can you continue?"

"I'm fine..." Po coughed, whispering, "But you have to keep fighting without me..."

Simon and Emily were trying to hit Fenghuang, but she easily dodged and blocked every attack while laughing. "What were you hoping to do?" She threw the fox away, leaving only the crocodile. "You worthless humans. You don't deserve the power you have!"

The crocodile frowned. "You shouldn't underestimate us." He moved his tail and whipped the owl's back. She slightly bent on the ground, suffering.

While Fenghuang tried to stand up, Simon used her own strength to throw her up into the sky. "GO FOR IT CRANE!" he shouted.

"Wings of Justice!" Crane cried out, flapping his wings and generating incredible energy so strong as to cut the air. The owl couldn't dodge, therefore losing control over her body.

Tigress jumped, caught her and blocked Fenghuang, holding her wings as strongly as she could. "LEO! YOU HAVE TO SHOOT NOW!"

The human aimed towards the owl; his hands were shaking. Leo was afraid, scared to miss her. His heart was pounding so fast that he could have been passed out at any moment. Mark supported him, putting his hand on his arm. "Ok..." he breathed out, "Just a few seconds more..."

She tried to struggle free from the feline, using everything she had. Tigress got several wounds from her claws and her wings, but she didn't let her go. "THE WEAPON WILL GET US BOTH! YOU'RE CRAZY!" Fenghuang yelled, hoping to make her hesitate somehow.

"I don't care," she quickly replied, "I would die to protect the ones I care about."

Leo held the gun tighter, focused and shot. "Time to end this in the best way."

"NO! I WON'T LET YOU WIN SO EASILY!" the owl cried out, unleashing a gigantic aura made out of her hate. Crane gathered the humans and shielded them with his body.

The projectile penetrated the aura, making a weird explosion. A white fog surrounded them, they were all blinded.

"Crane! Simon! Emily!" Mark tried to call them all one by one, but nobody replied.

Leo was the only one visible next to Mark, the others simply disappeared. "Please tell me I got her..." he mumbled to himself.

Silence. The two humans stood there, waiting for something to happen, waiting for someone to come who didn't. "What should we-"

Leo hushed him; he heard a bouncing sound coming from the area surrounded by that fog. "Did you hear that?"

Mark shot his eyes open. "That's the sphere! You did it!"

The human walked towards the fog ready to get it back, but Mark grabbed him by his shoulder, concerned. "What are you doing? We can't go in there!"

"You're right..." Leo commented, weirdly quiet. "Go get Mantis and Shifu. I'll stay here and keep an eye on the situation."

Mark nodded and ran away. Leo waited until he disappeared as well to walk inside the fog. As he predicted, he couldn't see anything in there, but the ball was rolling somewhere deeper in that area. He could have followed it by listening to the sound. He was worried to meet anyone in there and maybe being mistaken for Fenghuang, or even worse, facing the owl alone, but Leo wanted to continue for his friends who saved and supported him.

Leo found it. 'I'll take it and run away. Once I leave the fog I'm technically okay wherever I end up,' he thought before moving away but stopped hearing someone approaching. It could have been anyone. He moved slowly in the opposite direction, sensing their presence.

"Give...it...back," the owl mumbled, crawling towards him. She grabbed his leg.

Leo tried to set himself free, moving his leg, but she didn't let him. "Stay away! This is not yours!"

"You're such a nuisance," Fenghuang muttered, climbing her way back to him. "A burden like you should know his place."

Those two phrases she said to him triggered a memory, something that always hurt him.

"Hey Dad! I've got a ball! See?" A ten years old spoke to his father, handing him a ball. "Would you like to play with me today instead? We always study..."

"I thought we already talked about this." An old man glared at him. "You are much more valuable than the other children! You have something important to do and you can't waste time in these useless activities."

"But…" he worthlessly opposed, "It won't be for so long…just a break." The kid was on verge of tears.

"You're such a nuisance," his father replied, upset. "Do you really want to be a burden for this family?" Then he scolded him, shouting, "You should know your place!"

"I-I know where my place is!" Leo replied to Fenghuang, tears appearing on his eyes.

The owl looked at him, annoyed, ready to take him out even in that weakened condition. "You're standing IN MY WAY!"

Fenghuang tried to plant her claws on his body, but Leo, led by his anger, punched her in the face. His chi stone glowed with golden lights. What struck the owl wasn't a human fist anymore. "Go away now while you still can."

"I'll never accept defeat from someone like you!" she panted, "You worthless piece of junk..." the owl stood up again, even if it took some time.

Leo couldn't control himself anymore; her manners and way of thinking drove him insane.

"PEOPLE LIKE YOU DO NOT EVEN DESERVE TO LIVE!" he shouted, unleashing an incredibly powerful roar to clear the fog and to throw Fenghuang away. She flew outside the palace.

Even if she hated that thought, she couldn't fight anymore and that was the perfect occasion to leave. Leo literally set her up to fly away. "I'll get my revenge one day..." she commented loudly, trying to fly correctly, but couldn't move straight.

Mark came back, bringing Shifu and Mantis. "Leo I'm h-" He widened his eyes, surprised to see a lion standing in front of them holding the sphere.

"I...am..." Leo tried to talk, but fell on the ground, losing consciousness and shape-shifting back to normal. The ball bounced towards them.

Mantis glanced around the place, shocked. Everyone was on the ground wounded, tired, and passed out except for Emily, who was sitting on the ground heavily breathing. "Are you kidding me?"

Shifu picked up the humans. "Don't worry. We'll all help you."

Mark grabbed the sphere. "I think you should do this." He walked towards Emily. "We'll take care of the rest."

Emily nodded, getting up. "Okay, thanks," she said before leaving towards Po's room.

Rebecca walked over, following Mantis. "Oh my god..." she gasped, shocked. The feeling of being useless overwhelmed her.

Mark glanced over to her. "I hope you cooked enough food now..." he smiled, "Everyone's wounded."

The girl looked away, demoralized; simply cooking wasn't enough for her. "Yeah...I did."

While moving his friends back to their beds, Mantis muttered, "I'd like to have a doctor for the doctor!" He cringed, looking at Po's wounds. "This is the only thing I did today! Healing, fixing and repairing! I'm tired..."


	12. Discovery Chapter 1, P9

The fox walked inside Po's dorm, sad to see the still unconscious male lay on the bed. Her friends made her understand that it wasn't her fault, but she couldn't forget the truth: Fulvio shielded her. Emily shoved away everything. Soon he will be okay, and Fenghuang has been defeated, she thought. A smile appeared on her face.

'How should this work?' Emily wondered holding the sphere in front of him. 'This belongs to you! Come on, get it back!'

She moved it around his body, thinking that there was a specific place where it could activate. Emily put the sphere on his stomach, but nothing happened. Then she placed it on his head with the same result. 'This is so stupid,' she thought, frustrated.

"JUST TAKE IT ALREADY!" The fox yelled, upset, while throwing the ball at his face.

Emily regretted it, embarrassed for losing her temper like that. "I'm sorry! Hope it didn't hurt too much," she apologized as if Fulvio could hear her.

The girl ducked down to gather the ball from the floor. 'I don't know what to do,' she thought, worried. 'Is it too late?' She hugged the sphere, trying to comfort herself. 'Please...I don't wanna lose you!'

Her necklace glowed, a weird warmth coming from it. As if the stone itself was...reassuring her. "Chi..." she whispered, "Is that what I need to give back to him?" The fox questioned while looking at her pendant.

Emily's jade stone stopped shining. She took that sign as a yes. 'Here goes nothing...'

The girl surrounded herself with a golden aura. Shortly after, the sphere glowed showing the same lights. Emily gracefully moved it towards Fulvio's body, merging them together as they should have been. 'I did it!' She thought happily, watching over her friend and ready to see him wake up soon.

* * *

Mark walked inside Monkey's room to check on him again, this time carrying a bowl. Rebecca had cooked some hot broth for their wounded friends in order for them to recover faster. The human didn't care about it, he was just jealous he couldn't eat anything.

"I see you're awake," the human commented, laying down the bowl on the closest shelf. "Do you feel any better?"

Monkey quickly glanced at him, "Tell me what happened. Are the humans okay?" He felt guilty for not being able to carry out his duties until the end.

"You have a lot of catching up to do." Mark sat on the bed next to him, telling his friend what he'd missed.

"I could have avoided this..." He sighed, saddened from what he heard.

Mark saw him trying to get up and failing miserably at it. "Hey, stop." The human put him down again. "Everything's fine now. Just rest."

Monkey struggled to get up again. "I must see what you told me..."

The now irritated human narrowed his eyes; Monkey wasn't even listening to him! "Rebecca made this for you." He moved the bowl from the shelf onto his legs, then moved to feed him after saying, "You won't leave until you eat."

Monkey moved away from it, "What are you doing?!" He gently pushed him away, startled by the gesture. "I'm not little! I can still eat on my own!"

"Don't have a tantrum!" Mark teased, "Be a good cub and eat your food!" he chuckled, trying again.

Monkey frowned, then threw the spoon full of broth back into his face, dirtying him.

"Such an insolent cub!" The human continued teasing while trying to clean himself. The Simian giggled.

As soon as Mark moved the bowl away, Monkey took it and drank it all resolving their ridiculous situation. "Okay, now stop please..."

While cleaning his clothes, the man turned away. Monkey peeked at him, trying to understand if he was actually doing so or he was preparing next jokes and puns to say, "I'm...glad to see you up again." Mark muttered shyly, he turned towards his friend to see his reaction then he quickly turned back again blushing.

The Simian smiled even though he couldn't see him. "And I'm happy to have you here with me." Arms wrapped around him from behind.

For a second, warmth radiated from his chest. "Even if you're the only one who can't shapeshift," Monkey mocked, ruining the moment.

"Not that I care!" Mark struggled free, upset. "You're okay now and I have things to do. See you later." The human stood up and walked outside, trying to appear as cold as possible.

Monkey laughed, "Come on! I was just joking! I don't mind! Really!"

* * *

Fulvio slowly opened his eyes, stood up, and found himself in a weird, surreal place. Between talking animals who could fight, chi, and the Valley of Peace, he thought nothing could compare. He was wrong.

"Hello...?" the human called out for someone, anyone, but only heard his voice echo throughout the place. 'Where am I?' he thought, looking around. Everything seemed like a chaotic mess of colors mixed together, glowing continuously, if that made sense. Fulvio felt like floating (though two feet were clearly planted on the ground) before realizing that it was some sort of invisible hallway. The walls weren't visible causing him to bump into them accidentally. 'What's going on?!'

The human continued walking deeper into the hallway, as if he had a choice, but couldn't understand if he were actually moving or not because everything seemed the same. 'Where are the others? Why am I here all alone..?' Anxiety grew bigger in his thoughts.

Finally, something appeared proving to him that he was actually moving. He didn't quite understand what is was; from a distance it was a white rectangle stuck on the wall. Said visible thing changed as he walked closer. He was able to see Po calling to him.

"Fulvio!" The Dragon Warrior said, smiling and waving his paw. Even though he was calling his name, he wasn't really looking at him.

"Po! I'm here! Can you see me?!" The human shouted trying to draw his attention, but it didn't work. Fulvio stretched his hand towards him, but couldn't go through as he imagined. "HELP ME PO!" He yelled, punching the window, "I'm scared..." Fulvio breathed, letting his feelings out.

The human suddenly stopped seeing something that confused him even more. Po continued walking until he reached...himself. "This doesn't make any sense..." He backed away. "I'M HERE! THAT...THING IS NOT ME!"

He stood there, silent, watching what was happen inside. "What is it?" Fulvio replied.

"YOU MUST SEE THIS!" The panda proudly showed his collection of action figures.

Fulvio smiled, "Aren't you too old for playing with dolls?" He teased. He didn't even know how old he was.

"Hey, that's not nice!" Po grinned, "Don't compare simple, plain dolls to these masterpieces!" His eyes shined, filled with excitement. "A work of art..."

Then the window turned black as if it had turned itself off. 'I...I remember that. It happened shortly after we brought food to everyone else,' the human thought, confused. 'Was that a memory?' He felt nostalgic; he wanted to go back.

"Yes, you're right. That was a memory of your recent past," an unfamiliar voice, ringing throughout the place so the source couldn't be found, replied to his thought. "You're trapped inside your mind."

"People say that I'm always inside my head." Fulvio smiled, "I can finally agree with them."

"You have to go. There are people waiting for you," the voice advised, and then a door appeared right next to that window.

The human was ready to leave, excitedly heading towards the doorknob until a thought reached his mind, his hand backing away. "If this is my mind who are you? Why's there a voice I've never heard before inside my head?"

"Do you really wish to know the truth?" The voice spoke differently, so now Fulvio could easily understand that it was coming closer.

"Yes, please tell me." He nodded, unsure.

After a while, someone showed up. He couldn't believe his own eyes! A panda appeared in front of him; the panda he shapeshifted into! "Who are you?" Fulvio wondered.

"I am you."

The human raised an eyebrow, confused. "Literally speaking or is there a hidden meaning?"

"We don't have enough time to talk about this, I'm sorry," he said slowly vanishing.

"NO! WAIT! DON'T GO! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON; WHY ARE YOU HERE?! I THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T ALIVE! IS THAT WHY I FELT WEIRD EVERYTIME I TURNED?!" Fulvio shouted, reaching for him.

The panda smiled.

"You guys are something special and unique. I can't explain what's happening even if I tried. What Fenghuang did give me is some time to reach out and finally talk to you." He ducked towards him, fading away more and more. "I don't want to waste this opportunity." The panda tilted his head, "Ask about Nova. I'm sure you'll learn something useful." His expression saddened, "Just...don't blame yourself for what you'll find out."

"Nova..." Fulvio whispered, "Is that your name?" He tried to touch him, but his hand phased through.

The panda softly smiled before completely disappearing. "I...already feel bad." The human admitted, "There's something wrong in this..."

Everything turned white. He didn't know what was going on, so he closed his eyes to be blinded by the light.

* * *

"Is he waking up?" Po mumbled to Emily, "You sure you did it right?"

The girl complained, "Of course I did. Were you thinking that I, instead of him, might absorb the sphere?"

Po tilted his head, "No, no. I was just saying we will wait."

Fulvio groaned hearing those two arguing, then raised his torso from the bed, "Could you guys stop blabbering? I was sleeping so well..."

They instantly jumped on him, happy and excited. "YOU'RE OKAY!" they shouted.

He couldn't breath. Emily wasn't the problem, but when the giant panda hugged him, he was literally gasping for breath. "Pl...ease...air..."

Po loosened his grip, "Oops, I'm sorry..."

"How are you? You okay? Everything's fine?" Emily asked, extremely concerned.

"Okay, first things first." Fulvio pushed them away. "I need some space." Then he glanced over them. "I'm perfectly okay, there's nothing wrong. Tell me what happened instead."

Po and Emily quickly explained the whole thing right after his departure.

"Uhm..." The human rubbed his chin, "I see..." Suddenly, he remembered his meeting with the panda and gasped. "Nova...!"

His friends shared a confused look, "Who?"

Fulvio narrowed his eyes, knowing where he should ask. "I have to go."

Po stopped him. "Where? You should rest some more..."

"I have to go. I have to see Shifu."

Emily and Po looked at each other again, nodding. "Wherever you go, we shall accompany you," the panda said.

They led the way to the temple where their old master is. In that moment, Simon exited from Tigress's dorm and saw them passing by. He secretly followed them, having a feeling that something interesting was going to happen.

* * *

Po brought them inside the Hall of Heroes. Shifu remained there to meditate after helping Mantis and the humans to carry his students back into their rooms.

"Shifu..." Fulvio called.

The red panda raised his left ear, "Oh...I'm glad your chi has finally been restored," he commented, keeping his meditation stance with eyes closed.

"There's something I need to ask you about..." The human walked past his friends and reached him.

"I've told you everything we know about the legend and the ancient heroes," he quietly replied, "Unfortunately we do not know the reason why you're connected to them."

"I think there's more..." Fulvio insisted, "You must know something about Nova."

Shifu's eyes shot open, awakening from his meditation and turning to him. "Nova? I've never heard that name before. Who's he?"

The human frowned; seeing his reaction it was clear that he knew, but decided to play along. "This is Nova." Fulvio shapeshifted into the panda.

"How did you know?" the master sighed, glancing down. "It wasn't necessary for you to know."

"If we are here for a reason and you know that reason, then you have to tell us."

"You sure?" Shifu picked up his wooden staff from the ground, stood up, and went towards them.

Fulvio nodded, even when Nova's words echoed in his mind.

"We don't know the details, but...as soon as I saw your powers I was sure that you didn't just inherit their abilities." His staff was pointed at him. "You ARE those ancient heroes."

Po stared at him, bewildered. "What do you mean? They have different names, different aspects, and I'm sure different personalities."

Shifu tilted his head. "I've read stories about the heroes. I'm sure of what I'm saying."

"This is what he meant then..." Fulvio said biting his lips as hard as he could. "Just...copies from the original owners."

Emily jumped in, shocked as well. "Is that true? Are we nothing more than people made from them?"

The red panda had no answer to it. "Honestly, I don't know how you have been created."

"I'm living a life that's not mine," the girl whispered falling to her knees. "Then what will happen to us? Are we going to disappear to make them come back?"

"Those heroes died, giving up their bodies and souls for everyone's sake," Shifu specified, "Even if you're some sort of hybrid, it's impossible for them to do so."

"They didn't die completely..." Fulvio handed over his stone. "This is what remained of them."

Emily's eyes widened, thinking of her fight with Fenghuang, "Then I wasn't wrong when I sensed someone guiding me..."

Po couldn't handle this anymore. They were clearly suffering. "It doesn't matter!" he shouted.

They turned to him, startled. "You heard me. Does it really matter where you came from? Everyone deserves to live and every single life is worthy."

Fulvio looked away. "You can't understand our feelings, Po. How would you feel if everything you've been so far, everything you've done, were lies? What if I'm not acting like I'm supposed to be because of it?!" Some tears fell off his face.

Po hugged him, not knowing what else could have helped. It was different this time. The human was using his panda form and more or less they shared the same shape (though the Dragon Warrior was slightly taller). "I'm sure this is you; those necklaces, those heroes...they wouldn't change you." Then he talked with Emily, "And if those are their lives, make them worth living for you and for them."

'I'm not anybody's toy,' Simon thought watching the whole scene developing right in front of him. 'I need to know everything.' The crocodile headed outside the palace.

In that moment Tigress was looking for her master and saw a glimpse of Simon going down the thousand steps. She called him, but instead of turning towards her, he ran away faster.

"SIMON!" The feline yelled trying to catch up to him, but he jumped down and used the forest below to hide himself. 'Where is he going? I have to warn Shifu.'

The panda wiped off his tears. "I guess you're right..." He struggled free from Po's embrace. "I met him when I was unconscious. You can't understand how I felt. It was...unfair."

Emily curled into a ball, she seemed really upset. "I guess we just need to accept that."

Po knew that she wasn't alright, but when he tried to reassure her, Tigress walked in. "Master, Simon's gone!" she said, concerned.

Shifu was surprised to hear it. "Why would he leave all of a sudden?" He sighed, "Do you have any idea where he is? We have to get him back."

Tigress nodded, "I have an idea, but I'm not sure."

"Then me, Emily and Fulvio will help you!" The Dragon Warrior intervened, "We will be able to look everywhere together!"

Fulvio raised an eyebrow, irritated. "I didn't say anything about going out."

"Come on, it will be fun! I'm sure this little mission will help you move on from this." Po clarified looking at them, but he couldn't find Emily, "Uh...where is she?"

The human grinned, "She did what I should have done. Leave when nobody's watching."

Po frowned, "I'll come and get her then."

Tigress stopped him. "I'm sorry Po, but we have to go. Every second is important."


	13. Crocodiles at my table Chapter 1 End

Even if their first enemy had been defeated and everyone was slowly recovering from the fight, Rebecca couldn't smile. The girl tried to rest, thinking that some sleep may help her to move on to forget the problem she was carrying, but it didn't work. 'This time I didn't fight, but soon I'll have to. They want to train us...' she thought, walking down the hallway to Crane's room. 'What am I going to say? That I didn't understand when they said fighting against people who actually want to hurt you- or worse, kill you?' She tilted her head, panicking. 'I've made a promise. I'm not gonna hurt anyone...'

Mark, just like Rebecca, had some troubles. 'Why do I feel like this? I'm so confused...' he thought, walking down the hallway after closing Monkey's dorm door behind him. 'Is it because I seclude myself that my necklace doesn't work?'

Then he turned, upset, before screaming, "I DON'T CARE MONKEY! I DON'T NEED THESE STUPID POWERS! I AM EVERYTHING I NEED!"

Rebecca and Mark were so absorbed in their thoughts that they didn't see each other. They bumped into one another, falling on the floor. "I-I'm sorry!" Mark mumbled, standing up quickly to help his friend.

Rebecca blushed as soon as he grabbed her hand. "I'm okay...don't worry," she added shyly.

Mark saw her weird reaction, how she slightly turned her face away, and laughed. "You're acting weird. You okay?"

With said question, the girl coloured tomato red, yet recovered her composure. "I should be the one asking you that question!" She easily changed the topic to something that she knew bothered him; his rough chi stone.

"No, I'm not interested in it," Mark replied, reverting to his usual coldness.

"I can help you," she said, smiling. "If you want, of course..."

"Could you really do that?" he instantly replied, showing, in the end, that he did care about it.

By focusing herself on others, Rebecca finally found how not to think about her problems. "We know that emotions and qualities share an intimate connection with our stones," she explained, "Tell me, what are you good at?"

"Ehm..." He looked away as if there were something to hide. "Nothing special."

She crossed her arms and commanded, "Tell me."

Mark sighed, giving up. "You won't like it," he added, scratching his head.

The girl blinked, confused. "How could I dislike it?"

He suddenly opened a scroll in front her and started to read. "That's interesting..."

Rebecca tilted her head, not following what he was doing until she recognized the scroll he was reading. She instantly searched behind her, looking for something that wasn't there anymore. "THAT'S MINE!" With a blush tinting tinting her cheeks, the girl snatched the scroll away from him, hoping he didn't read much.

"So you have a diary, huh?" Mark smirked, interested.

"I...I didn't tell anyone about it!" she mumbled, embarrassed. "How did you know?!" Rebecca put her piece of paper back around her belt, hidden. "But most importantly, how did you get it? I...didn't see you."

"You wanted to know what I'm good at," he repeated, biting into an apple. "I'm a thief. This ability is what helped me to survive."

She frowned, understanding that he stole her apple, too. "I was keeping that for me you know. I didn't eat at all..."

"I just bit it once." He moved the apple away from his mouth. "Here, you can have it." Mark threw what was left at her.

Rebecca tried to keep her anger inside, but when the fruit hit her head, everything flew out. "I won't stay here watching you tease me like that! You violated my privacy and my space, and ate my food without asking permission!" She turned away, heading somewhere else. Rebecca wasn't really angry at him, just irritated. Within those pages she wrote about how she felt about this fighting situation that bothered her so.

"WAIT! I'LL STOP!" Mark shouted at her.

Rebecca ignored him and kept going, but had to stop when he appeared in her way. "WHAT?!" The girl freaked out. "HOW?!"

Mark shook his head, not following why she was impressed. "Have I done something special?"

She clearly remembered that he wasn't following her; walking far enough to not give him a chance to stop her, yet he did. "Do you understand how fast you moved to catch up to me?"

"Oh, yeah..." he admitted, "It's part of being a thief you know. It goes without saying."

"What else is included with you being a thief?" she muttered, feeling like he was still teasing her.

"You need to be fast, resistant and agile," he proudly specified, "I wish I could always do those kind of steals when the victim doesn't even realize a robbery happened."

Rebecca had an idea as soon as he described himself. "I GOT IT!" she cried out, grabbing his hand. "COME WITH ME!" The girl shapeshifted into a swan and flew outside the palace.

* * *

The crocodile ran deeper into the bamboo forest. He raised his head towards the sky and noticed that soon it was going to be dark. 'So many things happened in just one day...' he thought, going ahead.

'He should be around here...' Simon wondered, glancing over the area. As far as he could remember, this was the place where he met Tigress the first time and where Fung's gang pierced him with the arrow.

He was clueless. There were no directions to follow. He was searching for bandits, not for some weird place to visit as a tourist. 'Maybe I should have waited for Tigress.' The crocodile tilted his head. 'No, she probably would have stopped me from coming here...'

Simon, having tired of waiting, decided to keep walking, hoping to eventually find some sort of help. He just couldn't predict how they would have helped him. 'WHAT'S THIS AWFUL SMELL?!' he thought, upset, plugging his nose. 'I didn't know crocodiles stank that much...' The black crocodile decided to trust his nose, following the trail they left.

After a while the human got used to it; being a crocodile like them saved him. 'Ok, I think I'm getting closer...' he thought, sensing the smell getting stronger. Simon found them: five crocodiles, doing who knows what, hiding in different bushes."What are you doing?" he said to Fung, sneaking up on him.

The crocodile jumped out of the bush, scared. "OKAY! OKAY, YOU WON!" he screamed, then turned towards the boy he didn't recognize at first. "S-SIMON?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"One question at a time," the human regulated, "You'll be the first one to answer."

"What was I doing?" Fung mumbled, sweating. "N-Nothing special I swear! We were...gathering herbs!"

Gahri, who heard him, approached and contested, "Weren't we hiding to rob people who wanted to pass through here?"

"Darn it Gahri, I WAS LYING!" he yelled at him. "Did you seriously not get it?!"

The crocodile opposed, "How am I supposed to know that? You only told us we would ambush someone waiting here." Then he turned to the gang to seek approval.

Fung smashed his helmet on the ground, disappointed and irritated. "NEXT TIME I'LL TRY TO SEE THE FUTURE, OKAY?!"

Simon got his helmet back, handing it over to him. "I'm not here for this," he coldly specified, not showing any interest of what they were doing so far.

The crocodile smiled, putting his arm around Simon's neck. "I know what brought you here today," Fung laughed, walking with him towards his gang. "My dear friends, I'm happy to say that we won't be five anymore because this black crocodile here decided to join us!" He pushed him towards his teammates.

"Fung..." Simon tried to interrupt, but he was too busy completing his speech.

"This is a very special day!"

"Fung."

"In fact, today we will have a fantastic dinner to celebrate your arrival."

"FUNG WOULD YOU LIKE TO LISTEN TO ME FOR JUST ONE SECOND?!" he screamed angrily, finally obtaining Fung's attention.

"Of course!" he apologized, "You should be the one to talk. This is your day after all!"

"I am NOT here to join your gang." Simon crushed his hopes and dreams. "I have some questions for you."

Fung frowned, disappointed that he wouldn't join them. "Just tell them and leave..." he muttered.

Gahri interfered right before the human started to speak. "For a moment I thought you were my cousin..." the crocodile admitted, walking towards him.

"Your...cousin?" Simon repeated; it seemed like some sort of clue to him.

He nodded. "He's just like you, a black crocodile. This species is extremely rare here, it was my first thought as soon as I saw you."

"I never liked that guy," Fung snarled, disgusted. "His behavior shamed us. Crocodiles are not kind and nice."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Gahri narrowed his eyes at him.

"Can you tell me more about your cousin?" Simon asked, glancing over to him. "Where is he?"

Gahri glanced down, saddened, while Fung seemed to enjoy it.

"What's the problem?" the black crocodile insisted to obtain an answer.

"It's been a month now since he's gone missing."

"Deserved," Fung commented coldly.

"Just because you two don't get along doesn't give you the right to talk like that!" Gahri cried out, defending someone he deeply cared about. "They were a brother to me."

Fung glared at him. "He was such a nuisance, always putting his nose where he shouldn't have. Someone got rid of him. That's what happened."

"I can't stop thinking about the fact that he left because of you. If you two were going to accept each other maybe he could have been here, with us."

He laughed, "Are we talking about Rox? There's no way he was going to join us."

"Then maybe we should have followed him!" Gahri proposed, "What are we even doing here? Where will this thievery bring us?"

"SO YOU'RE SAYING YOU DON'T LIKE IT?" Fung shouted, upset. "YOU'RE SUCH A LIAR."

"I'M NOT LYING. I'M HERE BECAUSE OF YOU; BECAUSE I LOVE YOU ALL."

Their voices echoed throughout the forest, so loud and noisy that Fulvio, Po and Tigress found them just where she imagined Simon would be.

"Why are you here?" Tigress said, appearing behind Simon. "You shouldn't have left the palace like that."

The crocodiles glared at them, so Tigress raised her arms, ready to defend herself. She knew they weren't welcome there. Po was unsure about what to do; he moved his arms as well, showing some sort of uncertain battle stance. Fulvio, instead, hid behind his big panda friend.

"HEY! HEY! HEY!" the black crocodile shouted, "CALM DOWN NOW." Everyone lowered their paws and claws. "I'd love to see you fight to death, that's true, but I have something else to do so give up, thank you."

"Fine, I'll call a truce tonight," Fung muttered reluctantly.

Gahri seemed happy to hear that. "If we're not enemies tonight then what about eating with us?" the crocodile proposed. "Fung did something useful for once and brought back a good amount of money. I was able to cook a very special recipe!" He smiled, excited.

"Darn it Gahri! That doesn't mean we have to invite them for dinner." Fung was so disappointed that he didn't throw his helmet on the ground and walked inside his house, muttering something.

The two pandas didn't really care about the offer. Whether the warriors accepted or declined didn't matter, even if Gahri tickled Po's curiosity and appetite saying that. "No, we won't stay here," Tigress cut in, deciding for everyone.

"Maybe you won't stay here," Simon specified. "As I said I have things to do." He walked towards Gahri.

"This is not a good idea," Tigress insisted, "You can't trust them so easily." She glanced over to the Dragon Warrior. "Tell him that it's wrong."

Po raised his paw and opened his mouth, but his belly talked for him. "Well...we could always leave after eating, right?" he mumbled, hoping Tigress wouldn't get mad.

"We should totally stay," Fulvio supported them, trying to avoid any quarrel. "It's getting dark, you two can protect yourselves, but what about us?" He tried to appear more frightened, if that was possible.

Tigress sighed and accepted. "Fine..."

* * *

Mantis brought Leo inside his dorm, lowering him down on a bed. Shifu, brought there before, checked him. 'He's hot! How did that happen in such short time?' He put a wet, cold cloth on his forehead. The bug looked at him, concerned, seeing his friend talking in his sleep.

"Dad...I'm not a burden," Leo whispered. His face twisted painfully. Mantis couldn't guess if that was because of the fever or the nightmare he was having. "I'M NOT A BURDEN!" he shouted, instantly raising up and breaking free from the prison his mind set up.

"Easy there!" The bug slowly laid him down again. "Don't push yourself so much since you're not okay."

He didn't get it at first. Why did Mantis say to not move? Then he noticed countless needles on his body, which didn't hurt at all. "Is this acupuncture?"

Mantis' antennae twitched. "Oh, so you know about this technique?" he questioned back. "I use it to ease the pain, and your nerves weren't too hard to find," the bug continued to talk about his special ability while slowly removing the needles from his body.

Leo listened to him passively; his mind hadn't left that dream at all.

"When you learn to perfectly place the needles on Po's nerves, then you can do it with everyone blindfolded!" Mantis laughed.

"I guess so..." the human commented, uninterested.

Mantis jumped on him. "Listen...I heard from Mark that you have some weird family issues. I'm really sorry I can't help you with that..."

"That's okay. I appreciate what you did so far..."

Mantis showed him a bag. "I had an idea of what you liked, so I got this for you. I wanted to cheer you up somehow."

The human smiled, opening it. "Wow..." he gasped, finding an impressive amount of scrolls. "History of China, History of Kung Fu, Common Traits Every Species Share," he read some of their titles. "THIS IS AMAZING!" Leo shouted, excited, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. "I WANT TO READ THEM RIGHT NOW!"

"I'd like to point out that you have a fever," the bug muttered.

Leo blinked, confused. "Really? I-I don't feel anything." He noticed the cloth and moved it away to touch his forehead. "I'm not quite sure, but I think it's going down..."

"That's not possible; it may be the cold cloth that temporarily changed your temperature. I checked it myself before, and it can't be gone already."

"Ok, hear me out." The human moved the bug away. "I'll start to read now. If I feel tired or bad I'll go to sleep. Feel free to check on me tonight, okay?"

Mantis jumped between Leo and the scrolls. "I won't stay here watching you reading. I vote for a sleepover!"

"A sleepover?!" Leo gasped, "I've never done that before! I agree with your idea."

* * *

The crocodiles, two humans, and the two kung fu masters were all eating together inside Gahri's house, but they weren't very active. Simon, Gahri and Po were the only ones talking. The human kept asking Gahri questions while Po complimented his food. Fung and his gang instead stared at Fulvio, finally understanding what happened in the village.

"I don't want to ruin this moment..." Fulvio mumbled, shyly noticing their gazes upon him, "but can you guys stop staring at me?"

"I want to see your human form," Fung muttered.

Tigress narrowed her eyes, looking at Simon. "You shouldn't have done that," she scolded him for turning back into a human.

"They knew already. Did you forget that Fenghuang hired them?" the human replied coldly.

"Well... we didn't understand at first what she meant, but we saw you before so...it wouldn't take much to understand," Gahri commented, glancing over to Simon's left arm. "Is it okay? I'm sorry about the arrow."

"Not to mention that Fenghuang will tell anyone she finds," Fung stated accurately, "I would totally do that to draw attention to you." Simon glared at him. "Not that I would really do it, of course," he mumbled back.

More interested in Rox's (Gahri's cousin) story, Simon moved the topic back to him. "Didn't he leave something behind? Where did he go? How old was he? The last thing he left to you was?"

"He always writes me letters." Gahri smiled, thinking about them. "I think I stored them somewhere inside a drawer..." the crocodile said, leaving to look for them.

"Why do you care about someone you never met before..." Tigress wondered, listening to him.

"I need to know more about myself. Nobody better than a black crocodile to help me out." Simon couldn't directly tell her the truth. If he was Rox, that would have brought troubles among them and the crocodiles.

Po and Fulvio shared a surprised look. They realized he knew. "There's more, am I right?" Tigress questioned the two pandas, lowering her voice.

Fulvio nodded, but Po replied, "We will tell you later… I think I know why he can't tell you."

"I found it!" Gahri came back, handing over a letter. "This is the last letter he sent me before disappearing."

Simon quickly read it, but there wasn't anything useful in there. "So...he's some sort of traveller?"

"Yeah..." the crocodile confirmed, "He mumbled something about inner peace, balance and...chi?" He seemed unsure about the last one.

"HE KNEW ABOUT CHI?!" shouted Simon, instantly raising from his seat.

"Y-Yes!" Gahri repeated, startled by his reaction. "I have this too, I wanted to show you how much you resemble him." Gahri handed him a photo.

Simon's eyes shot open upon seeing that they were almost the same; small differences made them different. That black crocodile was hugging two little ones. Under close inspection, he recognized those two. They were Fung and Gahri.

"We were ten years when we took that picture," the crocodile commented, nostalgic. "Rox was eighteen years instead. He was so nice with us..."

"Thank you, Gahri." Simon gave back his photo. "For your help, the dinner, and everything." He shapeshifted back into a crocodile. "We have to go now..."

The crocodile grabbed his claw. "No please feel free to stay here tonight. It's not a good idea to head back now."

Simon knew that Tigress wouldn't have liked that idea. "I wish I could accept..."

"That's okay for us," Po cut in while Fulvio was nodding right behind him.

The feline's eyes widened in shock. "I'm sorry? This is the worst idea of the day."

"You have to trust me!" the panda reassured her. "and them...of course. They won't hurt us!"

"That's not the problem!" she complained, "We are alone with two humans and have no clue how many people already know about their presence. We have to keep them safe."

Fulvio interrupted, "That's okay. We'll be fine."

Gahri, seeing that they agreed to stay (sort of), tried to show them their rooms inside, but Tigress didn't follow, stopping everyone else. "I'm sorry, but there's a limit," she said, "I understand Po, Simon, and now Fulvio, but I won't sleep inside among five crocodiles." She turned back, heading outside. "We'll see you in the morning."

Po didn't want to leave her all alone. The two humans thought the same and decided to follow her. "Gahri, I think we will sleep outside if that's okay for you..." Simon quickly explained, turning towards his friends.

"Sure, that's okay. Feel free to ask me if you need anything!" the crocodile shouted to them.

"HEY TIGRESS!" Po caught up with her. "We will sleep together tonight, all four of us! It will be like some sort of party among friends! What do you think?"

Tigress felt extremely uncomfortable; he probably said the most embarrassing thing he could have. "I'll...I'll sleep on the roof, okay?" she mumbled, "You three go wherever you want."

In the end, Po forced everyone to sleep on the roof together. Tigress had quite a hard time falling asleep because the Dragon Warrior hugged them all whole night long.

* * *

Meanwhile, some hours before, the swan brought Mark on the edge of a cliff. "Here we are!"

"What are you thinking?" he questioned, confused. "ARE YOU PLANNING TO THROW ME OFF?!" the human shouted, scared, seeing that she was lowering him down.

Rebecca reassured him. "My stone activated when I was in danger so..."

"SO YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL ME!" he screamed, "PUT. ME. DOWN."

She rolled her eyes, irritated that he didn't trust her. "Okay, if you insist..."

Mark was falling down, screaming and begging for help. "YOU CAN DO IT! YOU JUST NEED TO FOCUS!" She ignored him and encouraged him to do it alone.

Another bird flew down the cliff and reached the man, therefore saving him. "You okay?" Crane asked.

The human instinctively hugged him, shaking. "Still alive, thanks..."

Crane got back to the swan. "What were you thinking?!" he scolded Rebecca. "That was irresponsible! You can't assume that a stone would activate on its own like that! He was going to die!"

Rebecca landed next to Mark, gave a look around, and flew again. "THAT IS SAFER!" She picked up Mark again, heading towards a less deadly precipite.

"NO, REBECCA." Crane stumbled towards her. "I can't let you do this."

"I AGREE WITH HIM," Mark yelled, scared.

"I was heading towards that hill..." she said, justifying herself as if that was normal. "It won't kill him."

"No, but it will probably break every bone he has," Crane added sarcastically.

"Help me out," Rebecca insisted. "Fly next to him while he's running down. If something happens, you save him. Just one time; if it doesn't work I'll give up."

Crane looked at Mark. He didn't seem to like it, but the bird knew that Rebecca wouldn't give up unless she tried. "Fine..."

The swan lowered the human again, ready to make him fall. "No, no please! Can't we talk this out? I'm okay now. I don't need my powers!"

"You can do it. I have trust in your abilities." The swan smiled, throwing her friend down.

Mark began to roll down the hill; he already lost control over his body. Crane seemed ready to save him at the beginning.

"WAIT CRANE! AT LEAST MAKE HIM TRY!" Rebecca reminded him of their agreement, so Crane slightly backed away.

The human tried to catch something, anything to stop himself, but he couldn't hold onto anything as his body dragged him down. Mark tried planting his hands and feet on the ground, willing them to brake his downfall. It hurt; his nails cracked, and some blood poured out before he stopped.

Rebecca frowned."Mark that's not what I asked you to do!"

"I'M SORRY, BUT I'D LIKE TO LIVE! I'M NOT A SUICIDAL PERSON!" he yelled. "AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME WHAT I SHOULD DO, YOU JUST...THREW ME AWAY, SEEING IF I WOULD ACTUALLY SURVIVE YOUR TORTURE!"

"Okay, listen to me..." She flew closer. "Get up and run down with your feet, try to not lose balance like before when you rolled down."

"AND THAT WILL HELP ME?!" He couldn't understand the meaning of this.

"I swear if it doesn't work I give up and Crane will bring you back home," she added, "What about if I cook you something tasty? I know you would like that."

Mark sighed, trying to gather some courage. "I'm not accepting because I skipped without eating the entire day. Just wanting to point that out."

Rebecca chuckled, knowing that he was lying.

"Okay..." He took a deep breath, trying to stand up. "I can do this."

He followed Rebecca's advice and ran as fast as he could. His legs were resistant enough to handle that speed even if he was going faster and faster. An obstacle appeared in his way. There was a tree and he couldn't turn. He was running too fast to control his body properly.

"YOU HAVE TO FOCUS!" Rebecca reminded him.

Mark closed his eyes. Whatever happened, he knew that Crane would save him. In fact, the bird headed for him, but the human's necklace shone too bright, so he couldn't get close.

The human shapeshifted and his stronger body allowed him to turn to the right. He opened his eyes, relieved, not seeing where he was going anymore. Mark headed towards a giant rock that worked as some sort of ramp. He flew, just like a bird, to the unknown.

"Oops..." Rebecca gasped, finally feeling guilty. "I can't fly that fast, Crane..."

Crane sighed, heading towards the shapeshifted human. "I'm on it..."

 _Legend of the Otherworld - **Chapter 1 End**_


	14. Fish stinks Chapter 2, P1

_Legend of the Otherworld - Chapter 2 - **Fish stinks**_

Another day started. Shifu headed to his students' dorms, excited to start a new fresh training session, but something seemed missing.

"Where are Tigress, Po, and their partners?" the red panda asked impatiently, "Have they not returned yet?"

"No, Master," Monkey replied tilting his head. "They left to look for Simon and haven't come back."

"I hope nothing bad happened." Shifu pointed his staff at him. "Monkey, go towards the bamboo forest. I heard that they were heading there."

"Yes, Master." The simian bowed respectfully, and then ran outside the palace.

The humans, instead, exited their huts shortly after hearing Shifu's call.

"Hey Mark!" Rebecca shouted, waving at him. "Good morning!"

He walked through the dorm's hallway and headed to the training hall, straight up ignoring her.

"Don't ignore me!" She chased him down and grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Are you...mad at me for yesterday?"

Mark turned to her with a glare. He struggled free and left. "I'M SORRY!" she yelled, "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT?"

Rebecca's yells woke up Emily, who had slept with Viper that night. She watched over the snake the whole night only to end up falling asleep.

"What's happening?" she mumbled with a yawn, "Who's shouting?"

Viper, already awake due to her master's call, turned to her. "Good morning, sweetie."

Emily smiled seeing her completely recovered. "I'm glad you're fine now..."

"You've been very kind..." The serpent blushed. "Yesterday night you stayed here and took care of me."

"I didn't do anything special..." she replied shyly, "I fell asleep as well. Let's just say we slept together."

Meanwhile, inside Mantis' dorm (the one next to Viper's), the bug, after replying to his master's call, turned around to check on his friend to eventually wake him up if he were still asleep, but he found a surprise.

"Are you still reading?!" the kung fu master yelled, upset. "Please tell me you didn't stay awake all night."

Leo turned red, using his scroll to cover his face. "Ok I won't tell you..." He replied shyly.

Mantis moved away the sheets and the scroll he was reading to find something even more weird, "Where did these scrolls come from?!"

The human laughed awkwardly, glancing over forty scrolls hidden under his sheets and under his bed. "I...I don't know"

"Today your training will begin!" he scolded, "How could you train now if you don't rest at all!"

Leo stood up, showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever. "I'm fine. I slept a couple of hours. I'm perfectly operative."

"After we finish you'll go back to sleep," Mantis ordered.

"BUT...I have to finish my scrolls!" He cried.

The bug seemed ready to knock him out - that would have been considered resting as well. The human perceived that and exited as fast as he could. "I...gotta go." He smiled, scared. "Let's meet at the training hall!"

* * *

The humans and students who remained in the palace gathered at the training hall, and Shifu started his lesson.

"First things first." Shifu cleared his throat, "I'm happy to see that everyone has successfully unlocked their powers and finally are able to shapeshift into different species."

"E-Everyone?" Viper repeated, confused. "How many things have happened while I was unconscious?"

"I'm sorry Viper, I couldn't tell you..." Emily apologized, "You didn't wake up until this morning so I couldn't tell you anything..."

The red panda stopped her, "That won't be necessary." Then he pointed his staff toward the humans. "Please shapeshift. I'd like to start some basic training."

Emily turned into a fox, Rebecca into a swan, and Leo into a lion.

"That's incredible!" the serpent gasped, "I can't believe such a thing is even possible!"

Her enthusiasm soon crumbled when Mark didn't change. "Didn't he unlock his stone?" Viper questioned, confused.

"Crane told me what happened yesterday," Shifu said, glancing over him, "Even if her manners weren't the best, she tried to help." The swan looked down, embarrassed. "You have to put any negative feelings behind and forgive her."

Mark didn't reply. After a while he pulled out his stone from his pocket, held it tight, and shapeshifted. A shining yellow cheetah appeared in front of everyone. "I just want to be clear; I'm not accepting her apologies, not now." He glared at Rebecca. "I really like this form because it suits who I am. That's the reason why I want to train."

"So he's a cheetah, right?" Mantis said jumping on the lion's shoulder. "If we knew that before we could have sent him to get Po, Tigress and the humans back."

"No, even if I knew, I wouldn't have changed my decision." Shifu remarked. "He has to start from zero. Imagine the fastest specie in the world who doesn't know how to control his speed."

Crane cringed thinking about yesterday again. "Yeah...I agree."

"The first step of your training is-"

"SHIFU!" A voice screamed interrupting the lesson.

The red panda turned towards the entrance, but nobody actually showed up. Whoever that was had called him too soon. A flapping noise grew closer until a tired goose appeared flying towards him. He fell on to the floor, crawling to close the little gap that remained between him and Shifu. "There's an urgent message from Seawe City..." Zeng mumbled, raising a very peculiar scroll for him.

Shifu's eyes widened upon hearing that name. "Are you sure?" His question didn't need an answer; the scroll itself was bonafide proof it came from there.

The kung fu masters were extremely surprised as well. "The underwater city? That Seawe?" Crane remarked, not believing it.

"There's no doubt about it," Viper said pointing, with her tail, at the scroll Shifu was reading. "Look at what it's made of; that's not paper. That's seaweed."

"An underwater city?!" the swan shouted, excited. "IT SEEMS SO COOL! CAN WE GO THERE? I WANT TO SEE IT!"

The lion rubbed his chin, confused. "Am I missing something here? Let's agree that this city is actually underwater. How could we go there? We won't be able to breath, of course, assuming that they want some kind of help from us."

"Instead I was wondering why everyone seemed so shocked by it..." the fox added looking at them.

"Because that place has been sealed for years." Crane explained, "Nobody was allowed to enter or leave..."

"And Leo..." Viper giggled, "You don't need to worry about that. I heard there's a special technique which allows us to breath."

Shifu closed the scroll and glanced over them as if he were looking for something, and then spoke, "Viper, Emily, Crane, Rebecca, Mark and Mantis. I'd like you six to go to the eastern coast where someone is awaiting you."

"Master, what do you mean?" Viper slithered towards him.

"There's nothing to understand," he quietly replied. "This is a mission you six have to take care of."

A mission. As soon as he said that word, worry and anxiety increased amongst the humans and kung fu masters. "Forgive my arrogance master, but they don't know anything about fighting..." Mantis jumped in.

"Or our world..." Crane supported his friend, feeling like this wasn't a good idea.

"Sometimes practice is better than theory." Shifu smiled, "Now go. The master you'll find there will explain everything you need to know."

* * *

In the bamboo forest, Po and the others hadn't awoken. Without Shifu, who worked as a living alarm, things were different for them.

Simon woke up first, raised his head to the sky and saw the sun shining. "What...what time is it?" he questioned knowing that they may have slept too much.

The crocodile pushed his friends, worried. "It's late, get up!" Then he punched the roof calling for Gahri or Fung, "HEY, WHAT TIME IS IT?!"

"Took you long enough to wake up!" Fung muttered while peeking out. "I didn't know you guys were suck slackers. You beat me," he laughed.

"Can you answer my question please?" Simon said, irritated.

"It's ten AM," he chuckled before going back inside.

"It's 10 AM?!" Tigress instantly stood up upon hearing it. "I've never slept so long..."

Po yawned, "It's okay Tigress, maybe you needed it."

"I don't think we should care about how long we've slept," Fulvio cut in, "What about Shifu? I believe he'll be so mad and worried."

The two warriors glanced at each other with wide eyes. "That is not okay." Po said, already thinking what the sly red panda could do to them.

"Just grab the humans and go!" Tigress exhorted, picking up Simon by his tail.

"HEY, I'M NOT SOME SORT OF BAG YOU CARRY AROUND. I CAN WALK YOU KNOW!" the upset crocodile yelled.

"You'll be too slow to follow us," she replied before running, on all fours, back to the palace with the crocodile on her back.

Simon raised an eyebrow. "You're seriously telling me that I would be slower than Po?"

With that reminder, Tigress planted her paws on the ground, turned around and looked at the two pandas behind them.

"Fulvio please turn back to human," Po said, "I can't carry you in that form, you're too heavy."

"I...just wanted to say goodbye to the crocodiles. Simon and Tigress didn't do it and simply left," the human mumbled.

"What are you doing?" Tigress called to them, "There's no time for that!"

"That's rude! They took us in, gave us something to eat, and we almost slept in their beds," Fulvio explained, "Shouldn't we at least say we're leaving?"

"Don't worry about it," Gahri said opening the door, "We heard everything, thank you."

The panda shifted back into a human. "Okay then. You can carry me now."

"Wait...what about not showing your real form to the villagers?" Fulvio said as soon as Po put him on his back

"I know that, but I don't know what to do..." He rubbed his chin thinking of something. "WAIT! GAHRI! Do you have some sort of cape or cloak to cover him?"

Gahri quickly went back inside and brought an old, damaged cloak. "I wanted to throw it away. Will this work?"

"Thank you!" he said, accepting his help. "With this on, nobody will see what's inside!"

After a while, Po and Fulvio finally reached Tigress who was waiting for them. "Are you done now?" she asked with her arms crossed, left foot thumping repeatedly on the ground. Simon sat next to her.

"I-I'm sorry" Po mumbled, "I did what I needed to-"

"Maybe you don't understand that we're late, really late." Tigress commented, picking up Simon and running away.

"I...just wanted to be polite." Po replied, even if she didn't hear it, and followed.

"HEY!" Fung shouted not knowing if they could actually hear him. "SIMON, DON'T FORGET THAT I'M ALWAYS HERE IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND!"

"As if you could leave..." Gahri added sarcastically.

The crocodile glared at him. "Thanks Gahri. Such a good friend I have."

* * *

Monkey met them at the village's entrance. Po and Tigress stopped as soon as they saw him.

"What are doing here?" Po questioned.

"Did Shifu send you?" Tigress guessed.

Monkey nodded. "He was worried that something might have happened to you four. What stopped you from coming back sooner?"

"It's uh...a long story," the Dragon Warrior admitted, lowering his friend.

Tigress did the same with Simon, she simply dropped him causing Simon's face to kiss the ground. "Oh...thanks."

"From here on I'd like to walk," the feline said, "I have to know what you didn't tell me yesterday night."

"Well...Tigress...you see..." Po mumbled.

"Spit it out."

"That's not something he should explain..." the crocodile interfered as soon as he got up, "You should listen to me instead."

* * *

These "new" six warriors were heading towards the eastern border where the big ocean was. It wasn't a short journey, that's why they decided to travel by air. Crane alone couldn't carry five people, so he asked Rebecca to help him out; she carried half of their friends.

"I...I can't do it," the swan opposed, "I just learned how to control my body in midair!"

"I'm sorry Rebecca, there's no other way," Crane sighed, "You have to try. I'm sure you'll be fine."

Viper knew that she needed someone in particular to push her enough to do it. The serpent gently slapped the cheetah with her tail. "What?" he replied, uninterested.

The snake moved her eyes towards the swan, then back to him. "Rebecca, please we need you," Mark said sarcastically. His tone didn't show any concern for her whatsoever.

Luckily for Viper, Rebecca wasn't close enough to hear him. "Mark!" she scolded him.

"What? You can't force me to help her, I'm still mad for yesterday." He turned his back to her.

"I honestly don't know what happened," Viper said slithering around him, "But Rebecca wanted to help you because she genuinely cares about you. Maybe she didn't do it correctly, but it's thanks to her that you can shapeshift now."

Mark's ears raised, showing that she, somehow, had a point, but still not enough to convince him.

"If we won't change her mind, we won't make any progress," Mantis interfered, jumping on his shoulder. "Don't you wanna see the underwater city?!"

"I...don't really care, but if you guys need this so much then..." he sighed, heading towards Rebecca. "We need your help whether you like it or not."

"You'll carry Mark and Mantis," Crane insisted, "I'll take Viper and Emily."

"We will all be next to you, so there's nothing to worry about," the fox added.

"Okay. Okay. I'll give it a try. Just...don't blame me if something goes wrong." Rebecca took a deep breath and lowered her body.

* * *

From a bird's perspective, the ocean was even more beautiful. The humans and kung fu masters couldn't turn their eyes away from the scenery. It wasn't just the sea. The sun made it brighter, and the breeze brought that typical smell of salt air.

"Wow..." Emily gasped, "I always loved coming to the beach, swimming, and tanning."

"You mean like Mark?" Mantis pointed out their color differences.

The cheetah blushed, even if he wasn't in his human form. "That's not the reason why my skin color is different."

"Really?" the bug replied, surprised. "But she said-"

The fox laughed, "I'll explain it to you later."

"Hey Mark..." Rebecca said, "Have you ever been here?"

"Of course not. We never left the palace."

"No...I mean this place, the beach."

"No, never..." Mark's tone seemed cold.

"Rebecca!" Crane called to her, "I think we found him."

"Are you sure?" She quickly glanced over the gigantic area under them. "I didn't see anyone on the sand..."

The bird pointed towards the sea with his beak. "You shouldn't look there. Focus on where I'm pointing."

Rebecca couldn't see it clearly. "Isn't that a giant rock?"

Viper peeked out from Crane's left wing. "No, that's a whale!"

"Rebecca listen to me..." the bird called to her again, "You have to land slowly, okay? You have to lean your face down then slowly put your body behind it. Go against the draft and you'll lose balance."

Crane showed her what she had to do, landing right next to that huge whale. The swan remembered everything he said, and for a moment, her attempt seemed to be going smoothly until a sudden draft pushed her towards the whale making her lose control over her body.

She screamed, panicking, while Mark and Mantis simply jumped down landing on the sand. Rebecca, instead, smashed against the whale.

"That was...unexpected," the whale commented while Crane helped the swan.

"I'm very sorry for what happened." Viper slithered in. "We're here to accept the mission you sent us."

"I've never seen such a big whale before..." Emily commented looking at him thoroughly from top to bottom. "Actually I've never seen one at all."

Rebecca, after reassuring Crane that she was okay, ran towards the giant fish and excitedly screamed, "You're so cute and big and soft! I wish I could hug you!"

"What are you saying?!" Crane blushed for her behavior. "Don't say that to a master!"

"Technically I'm not a real master," he breathed out, "My role is to protect my city's border from strangers and to not let anyone go out."

"Then why ask help from the outside?" Mantis said flickering his antennae.

"Didn't you read the content of the scroll we sent you?" the whale replied.

Viper tilted her head. "Shifu didn't tell us anything. He ordered us to come here as soon as possible, and stated that you will eventually tell everything."

The whale, even if he didn't tell anything or act weird, seemed somehow interested in the swan. He never took his eyes off her.

"Is something wrong?" Rebecca asked, feeling his presence bore into her.

"Do you...remember me?" He questioned reluctantly as if he knew her answer already.

The swan smiled. "I would never forget someone so big. I'm sorry, you may have mistaken me for someone else..."

"I see."

After that reply, an utter silence fell down upon them making everyone uncomfortable. 'Was I supposed to say yes?' Rebecca thought feeling even more awkward.

"I didn't say much inside the scroll," the whale finally broke the silence. "I'll tell you everything about the war on the way to the city."

War. That word burned on the humans, but the kung fu masters didn't react the same. They knew something close to that was the reason why they had been summoned to that place.

"Now, please. Come inside." The giant fish opened his mouth, letting out a terrible smell.

The humans couldn't even think or process the whole thing due to the surprising news, and destructive odor.

"Do we really have to get in there?" Emily commented, showing more interest for the disgusting situation.

"It's not that bad!" Viper tried to convince them, but she glanced over to Crane and saw him covering his beak with his wing.

"Hey Crane..." Rebecca shivered, almost crying. "A war? Is he serious? Why did Shifu send me here?"

He saddened upon looking at her. "It's okay, don't worry. Whatever is going to happen we will protect you, okay? We know our master. There's a good reason if he wanted you here with us. Pull yourself together. I know you can do it."

"I...I failed my landing," she mumbled, paralyzed.

"Rebecca please," Mark said, annoyed because of her whines, "You heard what Emily did with her stone, right? You have nothing to worry about."

The swan took a deep breath and chanted, "Okay. I'll try. I HAVE TO BE STRONG. COME ON GUYS! GET IN THERE!"

Then she lifted her friends one-by-one and threw them inside the whale, then jumped inside last. The fish closed his mouth and turned towards the city. As soon as Rebecca reached her friends she noticed something was clearly wrong, but couldn't understand what.

"Hey guys, why aren't you talking?" she asked, looking at them gesticulating. "Are you trying to help me out by playing some games to distract me? That's nice, but I'm fine, really."

The fox pushed everyone away, put her hands against her own neck, did a fake strangle and breathed out some bubbles.

"Oh...that's what you wanted to say; you guys are drowning!" She smiled happily getting the answer. "No, wait. YOU GUYS ARE DROWNING FOR REAL." Rebecca noticed that everything around her was just water. They couldn't breath. "MISTER WHALE MY FRIENDS CAN'T BREATH! HELP THEM!"

"I'm sorry," he quietly apologized as if everything were okay. "I haven't carried earth's animals for such a long time..."

He drained all the water from inside allowing everybody to empty their lungs.

"Wait a second..." the swan began, looking at them coughing and gathering fresh air. "How was I able to breath underwater? I'm not a fish..."

"That's..." Crane coughed, "A really good question..."

"How didn't you notice the water in the first place is mine." Mark added, "That's the second time you try to kill someone and it happened in less than twenty-four hours."

"I'm sorry!" she repeated again, "I don't know. I felt like I was so used to be underwater that I wasn't able to see it."

Emily remembered what Shifu told to her, Fulvio and Po. "Master Whale, please. Tell us about the war and the origin of your city."

"We have a long journey ahead," he replied. "I'll explain everything from the beginning."


	15. Harmony required Chapter 2, P2

Under Monkey's suggestion, Po, Tigress and the humans returned and headed toward the training hall where they thought Shifu was having his daily lesson.

"Master," Tigress said walking towards him. The fact that he was alone, reading in a corner with just Leo surprised her.

Shifu turned around and the three masters bowed as usual to greet him. The humans simply stood behind, waiting.

"Where have you been?" the red panda asked, "I was worried, even if I shouldn't be, because you are my best students. I couldn't stop thinking about it."

"Apologies..." the feline said, looking down, "We had some...trouble along the way that didn't let us return as fast as we imagined."

"It's my fault," Po instantly blamed himself, not tolerating the fact that Tigress was willing to take everything. "A friend invited us to eat with him and I couldn't say no."

Shifu rose an eyebrow, not willing to believe him so easily. "Simon," the old master said while walking past his students. "Why did you leave? I allowed you all to go around the village now that you have unlocked a power that has the ability to do so, but not alone, not like that in the middle of the night."

"I heard the speech you had with Po, Fulvio and Emily yesterday," he began, crossing his arms. "Despite the fact that I disagree with this choice of yours to keep it secret, I wanted to look for clues since I knew where I could find them."

Shifu looked away. "It wasn't my intention. I wondered if it was right to tell you everything immediately."

Simon didn't seem convinced either and decided to go straight to the point. "The name Rox tells you something?"

"Unfortunately, he is one of the six ancient heroes we know nothing about," Shifu admitted, "I heard he was a traveler..."

The crocodile didn't like to admit defeat, but he couldn't argue. Nobody said to him that Rox was a traveler, they just arrived.

"Where are the others?" Fulvio questioned, seeing only Leo, meditating, in a corner.

"I've decided to accept an unexpected request." The old master showed them the weird, green-looking scroll.

"Is that a scroll from Seawe?" Tigress commented, startled.

"That's not possible..." Monkey denied, "That city has been sealed for years since their queen disappeared."

"The previous queen was a swan..." she said remembering old things from her past.

"You sure?" the simian asked, "If what you guys told me about the ancient heroes being the humans is real, then she's technically their queen."

Simon laughed, "Who? Rebecca? That girl couldn't distinguish a raccoon from a red panda!"

"That's not the problem!" Tigress shouted willing to destroy the light situation. "Seawe is in the middle of a civil war! Why did you let her go?"

"Really?" Po mumbled, surprised.

"Because the humans were right." The red panda glanced over at Fulvio. "They deserve to know everything and that place may contain what they're looking for."

Now the human-panda felt somewhat guilty for his discoveries. "So...what are we gonna do now? We will just...wait?"

Shifu walked towards Tigress and handed her another scroll, a traditional one. "Can you please put this back in Rebecca's hut? Precisely under her pillow." Then he turned back to Fulvio, "Training, of course."

Simon quickly read some phrases inside of it, but already knew what it was when their master explained where it belonged. "I didn't know Rebecca had a diary."

"Shifu...did you read her diary?" Po gasped, not expecting such a behavior from someone like him.

"Me? Reading personal stuff without permission? I'm a wise, old master. I couldn't ever do something like that." The red panda smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile, the masters and humans sent away by Shifu were on their way to the underwater city via a whale's stomach. He started to explain what happened and what caused a war.

"Seawe hasn't always been like that..." He sighed, "When I was younger, people traveled all around the world to come here; the whales were always working bringing tourists back and forth, but they left when the queen disappeared."

"I'm going to take a guess," Viper said flicking her tail, "Is this a war of succession?"

"Yes, it is. We put a simple rule: the ruler will decide the successor, but she didn't and disappeared."

Mantis jumped on Crane's hat. "So...how's this going to work? People will blindly kill each other to get power?"

"Mantis!" Viper scolded him as soon as she saw Rebecca's frightened face.

"The city is divided in five different sections. In the south lives the Octopus Tribe, the east holds the Shark Tribe, and the western side belongs to the Dolphin Tribe," the whale explained.

"Those are three..." Crane specified, "What about the fourth and fifth one?"

"Sorry, I mentioned only what mattered. These three sections are connected together by a central area where the villagers and fish folk live. The northern part has been sealed when the queen left. It's her castle." The whale stopped talking to swim deeper down in the ocean.

"MY EARS...IT HURTS!" Mark screamed, kneeling down.

"I'll fix the pressure right away..." The whale said.

"You okay now?" Crane lowered to help him stand up.

"Y-yeah..." He mumbled cupping his ears, "I didn't expect it..."

The whale continued his story, "These three tribes never got along very well. With the queen missing, now they want to be the dominant one."

"I don't really think these tribes are small groups and, honestly, I don't get how our presence here will help you," Crane admitted.

"We need someone who can guard the throne without being chosen as future king or queen."

The kung fu masters and the humans shared a confused expression. "The throne?"

"When the time comes, the most loyal servant will lead the way to the future," the whale chanted, "This is an old message written in the queen's room. We believe she left it for us."

"And...it's associated to a place where the ruler lays his butt on." Mark specified, giggling.

Viper slapped him with her tail. "I don't even wonder why you're Monkey's partner."

"Please don't worry," Master Whale said, "Everything will be clearer once we arrive. Master Dolphin's waiting for us at the gate."

"Isn't he...against you?" Crane asked, "Did you forget something else?"

"Our queen was an excellent warrior, a wonderful ruler, and a very kind teacher. She personally taught a dolphin, a shark and an octopus."

"I get it," the fox exclaimed, "She wanted to reconnect the tribes using them."

"Yes, she tried to do so. The three masters understood. In fact, they are very close to each other, but the tribes saw them as traitors and any attempt to talk this out ended up in failure."

"Were you...close to her?" Emily suddenly asked.

"No...I'm just listing the things she did for her people."

The fox didn't seem convinced. A royal servant wouldn't talk like that. He genuinely cared for her as a person, that's the impression she received.

"Please hold tight to something," the whale warned, "We're going to fall towards the city."

"F-Fall?!" Rebecca cried out, scared.

"In order to keep the city isolated, strong water currents have been placed all around the city. I am the only one who knows how to avoid them, but it won't be easy." His giant body leaned down, then he swam as far down as possible.

The strong currents touched his body everywhere trying to drag him away, but he seemed stronger and more resistant. The warriors inside felt like some sort of earthquake had shaken them everywhere.

"I...I don't feel very well..." the swan said turning green.

"You-You have to hold it! You can't throw up in here!" Mantis pointed out the fact that they were inside a whale's stomach.

"I-I'm sorry, I can't-" Rebecca did her best to keep her beak shut, but there was nothing she could do to avoid it.

Mantis snatched Crane's hat. "NO MANTIS DON'T-" The bird attempted to stop him, but it was too late. Rebecca threw up inside.

The bug closed it and gave it back to him. "Sorry bud."

Viper winced for the entire situation while Emily and Mark laughed in the background.

Crane frowned, took a deep breath and smiled. "Before I go crazy...are we there yet?"

"Yes, hold your breath. I'm opening my mouth," Master Whale announced. "Head to the dolphin. He will let you breath underwater."

Everyone swam towards the gate except Rebecca who seemed able to walk normally, as if she weren't under the ocean.

"Greetings everyone." A white dolphin approached them. "I am Master Dolphin and I'll be your guide to-" He stopped, glancing over to Crane who was begging for air.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry." He said awkwardly, "It's been so long that I almost forgot." Pointing his fins at them and saying, "Life bubbles", the dolphin created five bubbles around their heads allowing them to breath.

"Okay, thank you. I've gotta go!" The bird swam away holding his closed hat, willing to clean it up somewhere else.

"I'M SORRY!" Rebecca put her wing around her beak, "I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"

The dolphin swam incredibly fast to the swan as soon as he saw her, lowering his head. "I...can't believe you're back."

The swan backed away, disoriented. "Do I...know you?"

The fish glanced over to the whale, confused just like her. He glanced down. "I see...you're not the queen. Please forgive my manners..."

Emily finally understood every connection: from Shifu's decision to send them here, to the whale's behavior, and the dolphin reaction. "Was your previous queen a swan?"

"Yes, she was. Queen Walky."

* * *

At the palace, Shifu started another training session with the ones left. "Today you'll spar against your partners. Feel free to do everything you want; I need to see your flaws to figure out what you can do better. I'll give you some advice in the middle of the fight."

The humans knew that that his advice really meant orders. "I can fight on my own," Simon contested, "I don't need any advice."

"If you believe you know every basic technique it won't be a problem to show them to me, right?" He smiled.

"Of course not..." the crocodile replied, annoyed.

"Leo, as soon as you finish those scrolls, I have these two for you." The red panda threw them to him as the lion at them before catching the scrolls.

Simon and Tigress started to spar together. The crocodile tried to get her, but she easily dodged everything. "You have to think fast during a fight," Shifu commented while looking at them, "Strength is useless if you're not fast enough."

The human lost his temper and used his tail to make her fall like the last time, but she flipped away. "Can't trick me twice," she stated, landing in front of him.

"Stop," The old master interrupted, "Simon you have to use your feet more. Tigress already noticed that. She focused only on your claws and tail which is why you're losing."

"I can't," the crocodile replied, "I end up falling. My tail is cumbersome."

"I understand that, but you have to learn how to use both properly," Shifu said. "You've have never had a tail before and having one now that is almost longer and bigger than your body might be a problem, yet also an advantage. It's a double-edged sword."

The red panda glanced toward Po and Fulvio who were sparring differently as he imagined.

"Okay, let's see how strong you are," The Dragon Warrior said, lowering his body and stretching his paws open against him. "Punch me as strong as you can."

"A-Are you sure?" Fulvio mumbled, "I think we should do something else instead of-"

"Do it!"

The panda looked at his paws, clenched them and tried to punch him. "Should I...continue?" He asked shyly when Po didn't show any sign of satisfaction or pain.

"Don't stop until I say so, okay?"

"Fulvio, kick him," Shifu said, looking at them.

"Ehm...right now?" The panda asked, frightened, "We were training my ability to give punches..."

"Yes please."

The human glanced down, scared. He lifted his right foot, lost balance, and ended up on the floor. He turned red as Simon held back his laughter. "Don't laugh..."

"Okay, I saw what you can do...kinda, and what you can't do. You both need lessons on how to control your weight." The red panda put down his staff, turned towards a column, jumped and kicked it with his right foot. "This is a side kick." He moved to Tigress and Po. "Teach them how to do it. I have to take care of Leo and Monkey now."

Po's mind flashed back in time when he learned that technique from his hero, "My first side kick..." His eyes glowed. "It's been so long since Tigress showed it to me..."

"Po, focus," the feline called back to him, then showed step by step how to do a side kick. "Choose which foot you want to hold your body, twist your hips, recoil and extend."

"Come on guys! Do it!" he exclaimed, excited to see them growing as kung fu masters.

Fulvio tried to follow her instructions but wasn't able to lift his foot high enough to do it. "I can't do more than this..." he cried out for help.

"Just...keep going, slowly..." Po reassured him.

The panda tried, but he lost balance again, ending up doing a full split on the ground, followed by cracking sounds from his legs and a pained scream.

Po cringed. "Even watching that hurt me."

"HELP ME! I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS..!"

The Dragon Warrior glanced over to Tigress. "Can I...?" She nodded. Po lifted his friend up and left the training hall heading towards his dorm to patch his friend up.

Simon laughed again, enjoying the show. "Now it's your turn to try, Simon," the feline said.

"You think I can't do that?" He glared at her.

The crocodile raised his leg and successfully did a side kick, but then fell on the floor due to the tail which dragged him down. "See?! This stupid tail is always in my way."

"It won't take too much. I have an idea," Tigress replied, waiting for him to stand up again.

Monkey was waiting right next to Leo as his master told him to and the lion was absorbed on his readings until Shifu arrived, "How's it going? Is everything clear?" He asked.

Leo moved his face from the scroll to him and nodded, "I think I get it, but I'm not sure..."

"Then try it..." The red panda picked up one of his scrolls. "It won't be hard for you if you're a descendant of the lion's tribe."

The human put down the scroll he was reading, inhaled deeply and focused. His green stone shine shined with golden lights until his entire body was surrounded with chi. He stretched his arm towards the scroll. It started to shake on its own until it floated in the air.

"Wow..." Monkey said, looking at it surprised, "What kind of power is that?"

"That is telekinesis," Shifu explained, "It's a common technique among the lions, but only the finest minds can control it for long times or on multiple targets. It requires a lot of focus."

He saw the human sweating, already tired. "Keep training. You can't be tired after lifting a single scroll for a couple of seconds. Once you're ready Monkey will help you test your focus."

The simian looked confused. "What should I do? I don't have a technique like that to help him with..."

"You don't need any technique to help him out, you have to annoy him, lure his attention away, do something stupid. I think you're perfect for this."

Monkey didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult. "Uh...sure. I can do that."

"Good, I'll watch you from afar. Let the training begin."


	16. Attention seeker Chapter 2, P3

Master Whale glanced over them one last time. The kung fu masters were ready to leave for the castle. "It's been a pleasure to meet you all."

Rebecca instantly turned to him. "No, wait...aren't you coming?"

The dolphin swam next to her. "I'm afraid he can't. As a guardian, he has to protect the gates."

The swan stared sadly at him. "Oh, okay. I'll miss you..."

The giant mammal moved his left fin showing an empty shell. He closed it inside a bubble and sent it to her. "Here, take this. It's a thing our previous queen always used to wear around her neck."

Rebecca, instantly falling in love with the pink shell, quickly popped the bubble and put it around her neck. The necklace covered the chi stone.

"Thank you. It's beautiful..." she replied gratefully, then tried a hug, embracing only a small piece of his right cheek.

'If that was the favorite necklace of the queen, why does someone like him have it...' Emily thought, observing the situation.

"Now please allow me to lead the way..." Dolphin said, beginning to swim toward the center of the city.

"We have to wait for Crane first," Viper explained to him, "He...had to take care of...an issue."

Mark and Mantis giggled in the background. "A tasty one."

Viper glared at them while trying to buy some time. "I really want to know how these bubbles work, like...will we always swim or is there a way to walk like the swan does?"

Dolphin smiled, "You do not need to worry about it. These bubbles are infused with my chi. Soon enough they'll let you move and act like you were on the mainland. It will take some minutes because they've never met your species."

* * *

Crane was swimming as far as possible away from them, looking for a spot where he could fix and clean his hat alone. 'They know how important this hat is to me...' he thought, cleaning up Rebecca's gift. 'Mantis literally destroyed it...' The bird sighed, looking at his hat tucked up into a ball. 'Thanks, Mantis. Now how do I fix it...' Some seaweed drew his attention, and he had an idea. 'Well...time to modify this old hat of mine.'

He put the green seaweed around the broken pieces, fixing the holes while mending the straw back together. Crane seemed even more happy looking at the result. The brown mixed with some green made it nicer.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" A gray stone fish appeared behind the place where he pulled the seaweed off. "That seaweed you stole are from my door!"

Crane blushed, embarrassed, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't meant to..." He lowered his hat. "I'll give it back if you-"

"You destroyed it! There's no point handing them back now!"

The bird mumbled, "I don't know what to say… Please forgive me."

"Oh...I know what to do." The fish glared at him, pointing his sting towards Crane.

The bird widened his eyes, scared and surprised, and tried to swim away. "NO, PLEASE, I DIDN'T KNOW..."

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY SO EASILY..." he shouted, throwing his sting at him.

Crane wasn't used to swimming underwater, consequently making him slower and didn't let him dodge his attack that hit his right leg. After that attack, the fish didn't chase him anymore, as if his revenge was completed.

* * *

"There he is!" Mantis said as soon as Crane showed up.

Rebecca walked towards him. "Listen, I'm sorry about that. I couldn't just do it in the whale's stomach..." She noticed that Crane wasn't really listening, instead focused on scratching his right leg with the left one. The swan ducked down and saw a wound. "What happened? Did you get hurt? Is it my fault? I-I'm sorry..."

The bird instantly reassured her, trying to not think about what happened before. "It's okay, everything's fine, besides, have you seen what I've done to my hat?" Crane ducked down and showed her his hat.

"Uh...yeah, that's pretty cool, but you have to put some bandages around it..." Rebecca glanced over to Mantis. "Do we have something?"

Matins flicked his antennae. "I couldn't bring anything like that here, they would have been soaked..."

The dolphin swam towards Crane and put some seaweed around his wounded leg. "It will tickle a bit, but this will seal the wound."

"How did you get it?" Viper asked, concerned.

"Uh...I'm not a good swimmer, that's all..." Crane laughed awkwardly, "I crushed my leg against some...spiky rocks." He tried to swim, checking if his leg hurt.

Rebecca knew that he was faking, it must have really hurt. She glanced down, overwhelmed by her mistakes. The cheetah swam next to her and caught her left wing. "If you want to make up for everything then enjoy the city you wanted to see so badly."

The swan frowned, "We aren't here as tourists! I hope you know that!" Then she blushed, looking at him. "I wish we could."

Mantis broke the moment, annoyed. "Very touching. Can we go now?"

Dolphin smiled, embarrassed. "Please follow me through the village..."

"Weren't you...mad at me?" Rebecca asked, walking, while the cheetah was right above her, swimming.

"I'm trying to move on. I don't think this is the right place to be angry at each...OTHER." While he was talking, the bubbles completed their effect and the cheetah fell on the ground as if he weren't underwater anymore, crashing down upon his face.

The swan laughed, holding him up. "At least now we can walk next to each other..."

Crane glared at them as if he had some sort of grudge. Nobody noticed that except for the fox, who was the closest. 'That was unexpected,' Emily thought.

Shortly after Mark, one-by-one, the warriors began to walk instead of swimming making their movements smoother and faster. Dolphin showed them the principal village, the neutral one, where all the fish folk lived in little houses made with shells, conches and excavated rocks. Everything surrounding them were decorated with seaweeds.

Rebecca gasped upon looking at it. "Amazing! Incredible! I've fallen in love with this place..."

Viper noticed that the swan drew too much attention to herself; she looked like the missing queen and all that shouting turned every fish in the area towards her. "Rebecca, you have to control yourself..." she whispered, "Everyone is looking at you."

"Did you see her? The Queen's back! The war's finally over! The gates will be destroyed! That's why she was gone; she asked for help on the surface," the fishes murmured together amongst many other phrases.

Rebecca blushed and walked faster, dragging Mark along. "I-I really don't know what I'm getting into. Even if I ask they'll never send me back home..."

"Don't think about it," the cheetah said, "We will be back before you can even think."

"About that..." Mantis began from Crane's hat, "The whale told us about protecting the castle, but...how long will we actually stay there?"

"I see that some of you are worried, but at the time it's the least of our problems. We asked for your help because there's a barrier that protects the castle and today or tomorrow it will disappear. I'll give you better details once we arrive," Dolphin said, swimming outside the city and heading towards a giant route which led to the castle.

* * *

Shifu thought that Leo was tired because it was his first time dealing with chi. The truth was that he didn't sleep enough yesterday. Luckily for him, Mantis, who had been sent on a mission, was the only one who knew. "Monkey whatever you have to do, do it," he said, "I'm alright..."

"You sure? I don't think that you've managed to-"

"No, it's okay, go on."

The Simian blinked, disoriented because of what he had to do. "Leo, Leo-" He started to call him several times, hoping to obtain what Shifu asked.

The lion felt slightly annoyed but managed to tolerate the childish behavior. "You should try something else," he proposed, getting back to reading his floating scroll.

Monkey poked his chin, thinking of something worse. He raised his left arm, put the right hand under his left armpit and tried to distract him with some fart noises. "What about some nice music in the background?" he giggled.

Instead of being irritated, Leo was actually surprised. His life had been spent around people who took everything seriously, and Monkey's choices amused him (sort of). "It's funny that we can do such noises moving our arms..."

The Simian rose an eyebrow, upset. "It shouldn't entertain you!"

The lion snorted. "Sorry, try something else."

"What do you get when you cross a lion and a snowman?" Monkey asked.

Leo stopped for a second, moved the scroll away and looked at him, "You serious?"

"A frost-bite!" he laughed.

The human froze, not knowing how to react, "Uh...okay..."

"What's the difference between a tiger and a lion?"

Leo rubbed his chin, "Well...there are plenty. We could start pointing out their physical aspects and-"

"A tiger has the mane part missing!" Monkey said, chuckling on the floor.

The lion's eyes twitched with irritation. "Very funny..."

The Simian found his weak spot and continued with more puns and jokes, and for a few moments, Leo almost made the scroll fall.

"What do you call a lion who chases camels across the desert?"

"Why would a lion chase in camel in the first place?!"

Monkey held his laughter, "A chameleon."

"That doesn't make any sense! It isn't funny!" the human shouted, pointing his paw at him. Distracted by his friend, the scroll fell on the floor. "Damn it..."

"Let's try again! I have more puns to say!"

* * *

Po brought the wounded panda inside his room and laid him on his bed. "So...how do you feel?"

"What do you think?!" He tried to move his legs, but every attempt generated a cracking sound from them. "Is this the sound legs should make?!"

"Uhm...it must be dislocated." Po started to touch his legs, looking for the precise spot.

"What are you doing?" Fulvio exclaimed, suffering, "You're not a doctor, try not to make things worse!"

"Hold your breath, it's gonna hurt," the Dragon Warrior warned, but didn't give him enough time to actually do so before he raised his legs and then quickly bent them against the bed.

Fulvio screamed in pain while his legs made the loudest cracking sound. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU."

"I fixed them," he said, smiling.

The human raised his eyebrows, surprised. "As if you could-" He tried to move them. It still hurt, but the bones seemed alright.

"Hey, I've been practicing," Po commented proudly, "Mantis taught me something."

The Dragon Warrior glanced at him, worried. He seemed elsewhere, staring outside through the only window present in his room with sadness in his eyes. "Don't worry about the training, I'll talk with Shifu later and...everything will be fine. Feel free to rest as much as you want."

"Yeah...thanks," Fulvio said coldly, "But I'm not tired."

"Ok, what about playing some games then?" He ducked down and pulled out some boxes from beneath his bed. "Mahjong? Luzhanqi? What about Xiangqi?"

"Po, listen I need to-"

"Sure, I get it. You want something to eat, am I right?"

The human sighed, not sure if he had the strength to send him away. "Please, I just need to be alone now. Could you...leave?"

Po felt somewhat guilty, thinking that he might have done something wrong, something that made Fulvio upset. "Uh...okay, I understand..." he said, lowering his ears. "I'll give you some space..." The panda glanced down while leaving the room.

* * *

Mark and Rebecca, walking ahead of everyone else next to Dolphin, were enjoying their travel through the city, almost forgetting that they came for another reason. Viper had to constantly remind her that she couldn't be seen in a place where the old ruler resembled her.

"Even if they keep forgetting, I can't deny the fact that they look so cute together," Viper hissed, happily moving her tail.

Mantis moved from Crane's hat to Emily's head, since she was closer to the snake. "I don't get it. He was mad at her, like, this morning. How does it work? Do humans forget easier than us?"

Viper giggled at his naivety. "That's because you never fell in love."

"Hey that's not true. When I was younger I met a girl, but I refused to die so soon..." Mantis complained.

"Die?" The fox stared at him, confused.

"Females eat the male's head, killing her lover," Viper explained, "I always thought it was brutal..."

Emily smiled at them, then turned to Crane again, thinking that he might have heard them and have some kind of reaction, but the bird wasn't listening because his eyes were glued to the two humans.

"You okay, sweetie?" questioned Viper, slithering next to her. "Something's wrong?"

She scratched her right arm with her left one. "I don't know honestly..." The fox tried to point towards Crane with her eyes, still worried that he was hearing all along.

"What's wrong with CR-" Mantis spoke out loud, but Emily caught him before he could finish.

The serpent stopped, caressed her head with her tail, and observed the bird, trying to figure out what her friend wanted to warn her about. The truth struck her so hard that it almost caught her off-guard. 'Is he...jealous?'

Dolphin suddenly stopped and the whole group turned to him, forgetting what they were doing. A red octopus blocked his way and the dolphin seemed quite surprised to see him. "Master Octopus, what are you doing here?"

"I have been informed that there's someone worthy of my attention." He swam towards the swan. His cold blue eyes pierced the human who felt threatened by him. Rebecca held Mark's paw tighter, trying to not show it.

The octopus stared at her, from the bottom of her webbed legs to the top of her yellow beak. "This girl is the queen," he said nonchalantly, as if his opinion were the absolute truth.

"No, she isn't," the mammal quickly replied, "She just resembles her."

"We, her loyal servants, have been with the queen for decades. Don't close your eyes on purpose when the truth is right in front of you," the octopus scolded him.

"Do you really think that if she were the queen she would have behaved like that? We asked for assistance to defend the throne so it can be free to decide who really deserves the title of new ruler. It's a good plan, don't change it."

"If you want to do that, I won't interfere," he quietly replied, "But it's not a good idea to let her walk around the castle like that. She needs a camouflage; people shouldn't associate her with the queen."

"We could stop at her ho-"

"At her house? That's a really good idea. I'll be able to show her what her ancestor did, right? Bring everyone to the castle. I'll look after the queen, I mean, the swan."

The dolphin didn't oppose his request. Rebecca felt uncomfortable and scared, She wanted to argue somehow, but didn't have enough courage to say anything.

"Why can't we stay together?" Mark asked, glancing at them.

"It's a rather special place. Nobody's allowed to go in there except for the queen or people related to her," the dolphin explained.

"I think we made clear enough that she isn't," Crane shouted, acting weirdly overprotective.

"Queen Walky used to run and hide among her people," the octopus said, "We just want to hand her over some clothes to cover herself. I just want to help."

"I-I don't know..." Rebecca mumbled reluctantly, "I guess I have to..."

"You don't need to do this." The cheetah dragged her closer. "I have a bad feeling."

The swan gulped. "I have it too, honestly, but there's another one that tells me to go. I can't really explain."

Emily pushed her friend ahead next to the octopus. "Then go! I'll watch out for your boyfriend!" The fox winked.

"B-BOYFRIEND?!" Mark repeated, turning completely red. Rebecca, instead, went away, trying to act like she didn't hear.

"They are just friends," Crane remarked, upset. "Don't say such things out loud." 

Mantis and Viper looked at each other, surprised to see him act like that. The octopus and Rebecca parted ways with the group when they reached an intersection. The cheetah stopped there and stared at her going away. Viper had to turn back and drag him with the others.

* * *

"I was right then. Walky was the guardian of the blue goblet, it wasn't just a legend," the octopus said, swimming next to her.

Rebecca didn't understand what he meant, but her bad feeling grew bigger. Her heart beat loudly within her chest.

"I want to know the truth. You really don't remember or you were just faking?"

"Faking? I'm not faking..." the swan mumbled, scared. "What makes everyone believe I'm the queen?"

The sea creature grinned, "I heard you were able to breathe underwater without any help from us. Is that true?"

"Yes..." she replied.

"And you didn't ask yourself why?" he said, moving his eyes to her. "Earth creatures like you are not born with that ability."

"I've just arrived here..." she admitted, "I have...so many questions in my mind."

"I guess it's alright to act like that." The octopus smiled. "You're the result of something extraordinary, am I right, human?"

The swan instantly froze, shaken. "How do you know? How many people know about this?" Rebecca didn't even try to lie, her reaction made it too obvious.

"It was...a well-hidden secret, I'll give her that, but I have my sources." He stopped right in front of an old, hidden house excavated into a giant rock. "Who knows if this place will help you remember something."

The octopus moved away the seaweed that covered the entrance and let Rebecca go through.

"Why do I feel...strange?" the swan said, giving a look around.

There were some photos of her hanging on the walls. They really were practically the same. Chairs, shelves, everything was excavated within the rocks. Everything felt...so familiar to her, even the smell. "Was it true then? Was I really this...Walky everyone talked about?"

"Yes, royal blood runs through your veins. You deserve this place, this kingdom, these people; everything is YOURS."

The swan slowly backed away towards the door, her instincts suggesting that she should get away. "I'd like to do that, but...this doesn't belong to me anymore."

The octopus turned to her, upset. "Do you think you're different because you fused with a human?! Whatever happened, I'm sure my beloved queen chose someone who shared her the same ideals."

Rebecca tried to run away, but a tentacle wrapped around her leg and she fell on the floor. "LET ME GO! HE-!" she tried to scream, but the octopus shut her beak.

"I know the queen better than anyone else! I'm sure she would sacrifice herself to save everyone because she never liked fighting! DON'T YOU FEEL THE SAME?!"

The swan wasn't listening anymore. She panicked, trying to struggle free.

"I'll do your will, my Queen. Don't worry," he reassured her, choking Rebecca.

'Please help me...' she thought, losing consciousness. "Mark...Crane...somebody...'


	17. Deserved rest Chapter 2, P4

**Author's note in the bottom of the page.**

* * *

In the training hall, Tigress showed Simon her exercise on how to control his body. "You've never had a tail before, that's why you should embrace it first. This is a good example of balancing your weight," she said, planting her tail on the ground before lifting her whole body up. "Monkey uses this position to meditate. It isn't really hard to do."

The crocodile turned his head towards his tail, feeling weird when he saw the tail wiggling. "Okay, let's give it a shot."

"Simon, that isn't enough," the feline scolded seeing that he could barely lift his body up. "You have to use the edge of it, go higher!"

Every time he tried to raise his body higher, the human lost balance and fell on the ground. After countless failures, fatigue and sweat overwhelmed him, yet Simon refused to give up. His pride wouldn't allow him to do that.

"Good, don't stop. Practice makes perfect!" Tigress said, encouraging him just before the Dragon Warrior, calling her name, walked inside.

"Tigress!" He shouted, upset.

"Is everything alright?" She replied, alarmed, thinking that maybe something went wrong when he took Fulvio away. "How are his legs?"

"Uh...no, that thing is solved," Po responded reluctantly, "Can I talk to you for a moment? I need advice."

Tigress raised her right paw, communicating to Simon to suspend his training for a bit. "Feel free to keep going or to help with Leo's training. I'll be back later." Together, she walked outside the training hall with Po.

"What's bothering you?" The feline asked as soon as they were alone.

"So..." the panda mumbled, playing with his fingers, "Do you remember my first day here? The training, you and stuff, right?"

"How can I ever forget that?" Tigress replied, tilting her head.

His left paw moved behind, scratching his back. "Well...I'm feeling like those old days, you know; I don't think I'm handling this thing as I should be..."

She laid her right paw on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring vibe. "Just tell me what happened."

Po bit his lips, gulped and slowly opened himself to her, conveying his insecurities and thoughts about the human.

"You shouldn't have acted that straightforward," she said, commenting on how Po fixed Fulvio's broken legs.

"It worked, right? That's what matters!"

"Po, that's not the problem," Tigress said, crossing her arms.

"Everything sucks lately!" He started, upset, "I can't teach as I want to, I can't cheer up my friend, I can't even be a good friend in the first place!" Po muttered, listing all those things in his left paw.

"You're putting on problems that aren't problems," she scolded.

Po's eyes widened, startled. "What?"

"Where is he now? Is he still in your room?"

"Yeah, he wanted to be alone..." Po nodded, saddened by the last part.

Tigress turned away, heading back inside. "Then we have to wait. I can't show you anything right now."

The giant panda didn't really know what she wanted to do, but he had something in mind that maybe could have helped her. "Come with me!" He said, grabbing her right paw, leading the way to their dorms.

"Why are we here?" Tigress asked when Po brought her inside Crane's room. "He isn't in this-" She suddenly stopped, realization striking her mind when the Dragon Warrior started to blush for no apparent reason. "Did you keep those holes I told you to remove?"

"Uh...no?" He mumbled uncertainly. The feeling of guilt completely overwhelmed him.

Tigress crossed her arms and rose an eyebrow.

"Y-you don't know how it feels to live with your heroes!" Po whispered angrily, thinking that Fulvio might have listened to them. "Everyone would have done the same!" He pointed his finger at her, justifying his nerdy behavior.

She simply pushed it away. "You're not just a fan of us. You're the Dragon Warrior; our friend; and part of our family."

Po blinked and his rage transformed into a soft smile. "Thank you. That was...nice."

Tigress, embarrassed for what she said, quickly turned around to hide her blush. "Is it behind this shelf?" The feline asked, but moved it away not actually waiting for his answer.

There it was, a little hole hidden in the room's corner. The Dragon Warrior covered it using Crane's shelf. Tigress ducked down and peeked inside. She saw the panda sitting on Po's bed staring at some photos. He didn't have any photo of himself there, so those must have been Po's family photos.

"That's what I thought," she whispered, inviting Po to look for himself instead of asking.

Po was skeptical about this. How could spying on someone from a tiny hole help him find the solution for this problem? Soon his doubts disappeared, realizing the same things Tigress had.

"I think I got it..," the panda said, saddened, "I shouldn't have talked about my family that much. I must have brought nostalgia upon him..." His ears lowered, just like his mood.

"Don't be sad because this is not your fault. You did your best to make him feel at home. It's okay to miss your family. I know that feeling."

Determination appeared in his face and eyes. "I'll go to talk to him," he stated, standing up with raised ears.

"No." Tigress immediately blocked him from getting outside.

"What? Why shouldn't I?" Po questioned, surprised, "He needs someone by his side now more than ever. Let me go through."

"He specifically asked you to leave him alone," she reminded him, "Some people just need some space for themselves. Everything will be fine. Besides, what would you do? Rush inside saying, 'don't be sad, I'm here for you', implying that you actually stalked him to understand what was bothering him!"

"Hey, hey...easy there," Po cut in, moving his paws down. "First thing, I wouldn't say that."

"I'm sorry, I completely forgot," she mocked, "First, after you rushed in, you'll hug him, completely ignoring his desire for personal space."

The panda raised his finger and opened his mouth, ready to argue, but couldn't actually oppose. Tigress knew him too well. "Then tell me what I should do, Master Tigress, since you know everything."

"Nothing," she stated nonchalantly, "Is it too hard for the Dragon Warrior?" The feline grinned.

"I just wanna help!" Po exclaimed, putting his paw on his chest, "Is that wrong?"

Tigress glanced over to the shelf she moved away before. Right after putting it back, she picked up an action figure of Crane Po had received a long time ago as a gift. "Show him your support with this."

Po let her lay the action figure in his paws, yet he didn't get it at first. "Is Fulvio a fan of Crane? I didn't know about it..."

She blinked, glancing at the action figure. "What have you understood? I meant do an action figure for him of him."

The Dragon Warrior nodded, excited. "That is a really good idea." Laughing, he pointed his finger at her. "It will be so awesome!"

* * *

The group reached the castle surrounded by a giant bubble. Kung Fu masters looked on with interest at the barrier that blocked aquatic creatures.

"It looks like those medieval castles! Am I right, Ma-" Emily tried to explain her excitement, showing how much she truly liked the place, but with nobody to do so with. Mark probably wouldn't have seen a castle before either and she didn't know if the kung fu masters shared her same knowledge.

"I've seen a castle before," the cheetah muttered, crossing his arms, "Even if you find it hard to believe."

There was a moat surrounding the castle, and for the group using the bubble technique, they couldn't swim anymore. The dolphin swam inside, straight up ignoring the barrier and bubbles. He kept swimming before stopping in front of the main gate. "Lower the bridge! I brought some backup!"

The mammal moved to the left letting the bridge fall down. The group walked inside with their bubbles disappearing as soon as they entered. In there, it wasn't necessary. Instead, what seemed weird was the dolphin who swam in the air thanks to a different bubble filled with water.

"As you've probably noticed, things in the castle work literally the opposite way," Dolphin said, leading the way.

"It really doesn't seem to be underwater here!" Mantis shouted, inhaling and exhaling several times to prove it.

"So...that's the barrier that kept the castle safe until now, right?" Viper inquired, slithering next to him.

"Yes. Once it disappears, the three tribes will try to break in for the title of ruler."

"I'm...honestly confused about it. If someone takes the power then what happens next? Is everyone going to accept it passively? If there's a war going on I don't think the tribes will accept a ruler that isn't their own," the fox stated, rubbing her chin.

"Because they care about traditions. That's the only good thing in here. Whoever gets the power will end this mess, but we couldn't give it away to the first fish who walked in here. This is the gift our queen gave us before going away and now it's going to fade away."

"What about getting the power yourself?" Crane said, "You look like a nice person."

"I wish we could, but when we approached the throne nothing happened. It simply didn't choose us." Dolphin replied, kinda disappointed. "Now please your questions for later. I have to introduce you my comrades."

As soon as they walked inside the castle, the group stared with amusement at ornate carpets and highly decorated furniture. Everything was extremely fancy and elegant. It sure looked like a place where only earthling creatures could have lived in. What drew their attention the most were the three giant paintings hanging on the wall. In order, first was a crowned, brown crab holding a golden staff, then a manta ray holding the same things but with a red cloak above himself. Finally, the famous swan everyone talked about. She was the exact same copy of Rebecca so there was no question as to why everyone mistook her for the queen, yet something seemed off. Walky wasn't wearing any royal decoration. The groups' thoughts centered around the anomaly of Walky as they continued further into the castle.

"This way. The throne room is up ahead," Dolphin informed, drawing their attention back to him.

Mantis glanced towards Crane, worried. After what Emily had said and done, it was obvious that something was off. Except for two sentences, he didn't talk much. It's true that Crane doesn't really talk much in the first place, but this was something completely different now.

"Hey Crane!" The bug jumped onto his hat. "Is everything alright? I'm sorry about your hat, but look at it now, it's beautiful!"

The bird didn't reply forcing Mantis to peek down his hat to look at him. "Hey..."

Crane narrowed his eyes then glanced away, "I'm perfectly fine, don't worry about. Just...leave me alone, okay?"

"Alright, alright, I'm going..." Mantis mumbled awkwardly and jumped down, landing on Mark's shoulder. 'That doesn't look fine to me,' he thought.

They finally reached the end of the hallway. The dolphin moved away showing an empty, weird circular room. There was a giant column in the center and a window with some sort of balcony to the north, but the famous throne was nowhere to be found. A group of jellyfish were waiting for them, but only one, probably their commander, swam toward them.

"We checked the perimeter again. The building is safe for now, but the three tribes will arrive here soon," the commander spoke.

The dolphin nodded to him then turned to the group. "I'm honored to introduce you to Master Jellyfish, general of the royal army and protector of the throne."

Viper glanced around, looking again for it. "Actually...where's the throne?"

The jellyfish laughed as if he appreciated the question, making him feel relieved. "It's in here, don't worry. We simply made it harder to find." Then he looked around, just like Viper, searching for something. "Where's that swan you told me about? I wanted to see if she really is a perfect copy of the queen."

Dolphin blinked, surprised. "I-I'm sorry? Isn't she here already? Master Octopus took another path and..."

The entire group seemed alarmed by the news. Crane instantly walked past everyone, shouting, "WHERE IS SHE?"

The mammal genuinely didn't know, but he couldn't say anything to someone so angry and upset. "I-I'll try to contact Master Octopus, please calm down. I'm sure she's fine." Dolphin closed his eyes and focused. He started blabbering something, but his voice was so low that nobody understood what he meant. Crane, clearly mad, was going to ask what he was doing when a bubble appeared on Dolphin's mouth. The bubble flew away at high speeds outside the castle. "Okay, I sent the message."

"Can we have an explanation?" Viper asked, not understanding what just happened.

The jellyfish grinned proudly. "That is how we communicate here. Bubble messages are the future! We talk in them, a bubble appears, and when it arrives to the recipient, it pops itself saying the things we inserted in it."

"No, I'm sorry," Crane said, about to fly outside the castle, "I won't stay here while Rebecca is with some weirdo alone."

"CRANE!" Viper instantly grasped his leg using her tail, "Calm down! Where do you want to go alone? She could be anywhere! Wait a little longer! If she doesn't show up I promise we all will come with you!"

* * *

Rebecca, slowly coming back to her senses, opened her eyes to see nothing more than darkness. Trying to move showed that she had been secured with something. Calling for help wasn't an option either; seaweed sealed her beak.

'Where am I?!' The scared swan thought before memories brought her back to reality. The octopus kidnapped her! 'Okay, calm down…There must be something I can do...'

The swan tried to get free by struggling violently only to realize that Octopus had put her right on the throne. 'No, no, no...I hope this thing didn't choose me yet.' Her fears and worries took over causing Rebecca to struggle more in order to loosen the seaweed, but it didn't work.

"Please! There's no need to be so worried!" Dolphin reassured, "Master Octopus is a trusted member of the Royal Guard.. I'm sure he will be here soon."

The cheetah stepped in, tired of the scene. "We all know how he looked at her, don't try to act like you didn't notice. It's just...I can't understand why she followed him."

"Can't we send a bubble message to Rebecca as well?" Mantis asked, "Or...does it not work with us?"

"No, no, the bubble message works with every creature!" The jellyfish replied, "You just need an accessory for it, that's all."

"An...accessory?" Emily replied, curiously.

"Well...the queen always used a pink shell to do her messages. In fact, she put it around her neck."

The fox's eyes eyes widened remembering a pink shell that the whale gave Rebecca before their departure. "I see. Thank you."

Rebecca, who heard the entire conversation, had the same idea, but when she tried to reach her necklace the shell wasn't there anymore. 'Of course he knew about it..,,' she thought, still, struggling. 'If only I could see… Maybe he left it somewhere in this room.'

Her stone replied to her desire by emitting a warm, green light that pushed away the darkness. As she had figured, the octopus put her inside a secret room where the throne was. He was probably in a hurry and couldn't bring it with him, which was why her pink shell was on the floor. The throne wasn't glued to the ground, so she struggled hard enough to make the chair fall onto the floor. The thump was loud enough, and she wondered for a couple of seconds if someone had noticed.

"What was that noise?" Dolphin asked, turning towards the giant column in the center of the room.

The jellyfish, worried about the throne, headed towards it willingly to check it out. "I'll give it a look."

Just then, the octopus swam inside, upset. "THE TRIBES ARE HERE!" He shouted, calling for help.

The jellyfish instantly gave up the idea, giving much more priority to the attack. "HOW'S THE SHIELD?! IS IT BREAKING?!" He then turned towards his troops. "WE WILL DEFEND THIS PLACE WITH EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT!"

"It will break soon! You have to go!" The perpetrator stated, moving aside. The jellyfish and his troops left, ready to fight back the threat.

Crane headed to him shortly after the jellyfish left. "WHERE IS REBECCA?!"

Meanwhile, the swan, dragging the throne along, crawled as far as possible towards the shell until she finally succeed. 'Okay now...how do I do this? Please necklace help me...tell someone, everyone, that I'm here, stuck in this room. Let them come here and save me..,' she prayed. Her wish came true when a little blue bubble appeared floating in the air. It headed outside.

While Crane was arguing with Octopus the bubble went to Emily and popped, sharing Rebecca's thought with her.

"I knew it," she whispered looking at the column, "Viper!"

Meanwhile, the serpent was trying to settle the argument, helping both sides. "I'm...kinda busy at the moment!"

"It's important!"

Viper slithered away, giving up her initial idea to listen to what Emily had to say, "Whatever it is say it fast. I think Crane's going crazy."

"Do you trust me?" The fox straight up asked.

The snake blinked, confused by that sudden question. "Uh...yes, of course I do."

"Then give me a distraction. I know where Rebecca is." She ducked down and whispered, "She's in danger."

Viper didn't really want to entrust her with such mission, but Emily's powers were perfectly suited for a real stealth mission. "Okay. I'm on it."

The snake slithered close to Crane and Mark who were the ones arguing the most on that matter. "Mark, I heard that you and Rebecca are a couple now! I guess it's alright to be worried for her, but you must be patient."

The cheetah instantly blushed, his yellow colouring fading to red. "THAT'S NOT TRUE! WHO TOLD YOU THAT?! WE'RE JUST FRIENDS!"

Crane instantly turned to him, narrowing his eyes, "THEN WHY ARE YOU BLUSHING?!"

"He's right," Viper agreed, "The smiles you gave her, how you guys held each other, those blushes. Those are not signs of a simple friendship, am I right?"

The bird's anger rose further feeling a need to point out again that there is nothing between them. "They are NOT in love, right?"

Mark gulped, feeling awkward and guilty with Crane's glares focused in him. "Yeah...that's right."

Crane walked closer; so close that their faces pressed against one another's. "I don't believe you're telling me the truth."

Viper felt bad to do such a thing since said thing made the situation worse and more chaotic. Crane, outraged, jumped on him, luring everyone's attention. In that moment, Emily made a clone of herself to stand and watch the scene while the real fox turned invisible.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE ON AN IMPORTANT MISSION?!" Crane screamed.

"CRANE, MAN, WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU?" Mantis jumped in, trying to divide them.

"I can't believe you asked those people to help us," the octopus exclaimed, outraged.

Emily reached the column, but couldn't just break inside in fear of drawing everyone's attention to herself. She touched it, looking for some sort of secret passage. After realizing that some bricks of that column weren't glued to the others, she removed them quietly and carefully one-by-one and snuck inside.

Rebecca moaned happily as soon as the fox walked in.

"They got you pretty bad, huh?" Emily said ducking down, "This is the first time ever I'm happy to have those." Her sharp claws cut the seaweed that imprisoned her to that cursed chair.

"You can't understand how painful this was..." She whispered, gathering the pink shell from the ground. "Lucky I had this..."

The fox grabbed her wing, "Let's get out of here and wait for this stupid war to end."

"YOU'RE JEALOUS, AREN'T YOU?! THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY YOU WOULD CARE THIS MUCH!" Mark yelled back at him, hitting where he shouldn't have.

Crane was going to attack him, but Rebecca, hearing this whole mess from the beginning and finally free, headed there and intervened,"WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?! WHY ARE YOU TWO QUARRELING LIKE THIS?!"

"Rebecca! You're okay!" The bird's anger instantly disappeared as soon as he saw her, but she glared at him, making him take a few steps back.

The octopus, seeing his plan falling apart, slowly swam away probably thinking about a backup plan. The fox blocked his way out. "Are you going somewhere?" She questioned, upset, crossing her arms, "I think you owe us some explanations."

"HE WANTED TO FORCE ME TO GET THE POWER!" Rebecca shouted, pointing her wing at him.

"I WANTED TO AVOID A MASSACRE!" He shouted back at her, "RIGHT NOW, OUTSIDE THE CASTLE, FISHES ARE KILLING EACH OTHER TO GET IN HERE AND GET THE THRONE!"

"I'm so disappointed..." Dolphin said, looking away, "This is not what our beloved queen taught us."

The octopus laughed, "Such nonsense. Would you rather sacrifice one life or thousands of them?! I JUST DID WHAT HAD TO BE DONE."

A terrible feeling overwhelmed Rebecca. She felt guilty somehow. Her desire to run away brought the death of innocent folk. "WE HAVE TO STOP THEM! LET'S GO OUTSIDE! WE MUST DO SOMETHING."

"THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO!" The octopus shouted, "That...was the only solution to our problem."

The swan headed towards the window without knowing to do, but she had to do something. "You shouldn't go," Viper said grabbing her leg, "It's not something you want to see..."

Rebecca glanced down, then struggled free. The group followed her shortly after.

"Master Shark!" The jellyfish shouted at him, "There's nothing we can do! We must retreat!"

"PLEASE GIVE UP YOUR IDEA!" Master Shark begged to his tribe, "Don't let this pointless war go on..."

The sharks swam past him. "I'm sorry, Master. This is how things must go."

The swan couldn't handle the sight of fish trying to eat one another, their teeth sinking into other's flesh with blood staining the water with the color of their sins. The screams, the horror. The Royal Army assisted by Master Shark were desperately trying to stop them, but it was useless. Rebecca ran into Mark's chest, "This is so wrong..." she cried, sobbing. The cheetah held her tighter.

The Royal Army had to retreat inside, but soon the protective bubble would be gone.

"We have to support the army," Viper said, looking at Crane and Mantis. "Let's ask Master Dolphin for some air bubbles."

"You're crazy!" Mantis exclaimed, jumping down Crane's hat and landing next to her. "You saw that, right? We're talking about the entire population of this city!"

"Master Dolphin, what was your plan?" The fox asked impatiently, "You gathered us here, but for what purpose?! The throne didn't choose anyone! Let them in and allow the throne itself to take its choice!"

"There wasn't any plan to begin with," he admitted, "The queen herself said to ask for help from the people who saved us long ago and the throne will find its worthy successor!"

"The queen wanted you as the next one in charge!" The octopus pointed out, "I told you, I warned you. You still have time. Accept your destiny and stop further deaths."

Rebecca pushed Mark away, then glanced over at the throne. Her friends' eyes widened understanding her decision. She grabbed her tiny pink shell and held it close to her chest. 'You knew this outcome as soon as you saw me, right? Thanks for everything, but if this is my destiny I guess I can't fight it...' The swan thought. Another bubble appeared, heading outside the castle this time.

"Anything else you want to waste your time with?" The octopus glared at her, bringing the throne outside the secret room, waiting for the new queen to sit on it.

She took a deep breath and walked towards it. As soon as Rebecca touched it the whole palace shook, her first though was an actual reaction from the throne, but it wasn't.

"THE BARRIER IS DOWN!" Dolphin shouted swimming over. Water filled the entire castle and the fish proceeded to give everyone air bubbles to keep them safe.

"JUST SIT ON IT!" Master Octopus yelled.

She sat on it, and for a moment, everyone's hopes raised, but nothing happened. "Am I doing it? Is it working?" Rebecca asked. "I mean...I sat on the throne before when the octopus kidnapped me. Maybe something already happened."

Crane shoved her away, "It isn't right to give you such a hard job. Let me take this duty for you." He sat on her place. The two birds obtained the same result.

Rebecca rubbed her beak. "Can't I just pretend to be Walky? I mean...nobody knows that except us."

"NO! STOP EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING!" A voice shouted from the outside. It was so loud that the castle shook again. Everyone recognized the voice, but it felt weird to hear someone as calm, quiet and composed as Master Whale to scream like that.

After that loud shout, the Royal Army led by Master Shark and General Jellyfish swam inside the room as if they were running away from something. The whale entered as well by breaking through the wall. "Oh...there you are," he sighed, relieved that she didn't take power.

"Master Whale..." Rebecca greeted, glancing at him.

The octopus instantly swam to him, upset, "What's wrong with you?! This is such a great dishonor for you and for us! You left your place, broke our rules, and destroyed royal property!"

His presence there was so weird and unexpected that the three tribes stopped their war to look at them. Everyone knew that what he had done was absolutely unforgivable. "I'm here to make things right," he announced, ignoring the other.

"Master Swan, I'm really sorry for what happened to you so far. I should have warned you. I knew what was going to happen and-"

Rebecca put her wing over his giant mouth, hushing him. "It's okay." She forced a smile, even if she felt scared and worried. "I'll just...go outside, embrace this destiny and save everyone from a cruel fate."

"This isn't fair," Whale complained, "This is our city, our people and OUR problem. Why are we giving her the blame for our choices?! I hope you'll forgive me, but I can't let you do that."

"No, please..." The swan opposed, "I don't want to see people dying because of me..."

"If you go outside and pretend to be Walky I'll call out your lie," the whale said, determined to stop her.

"BUT THIS PLACE NEEDS SOMEONE WHO CAN TAKE CARE OF IT!" Rebecca shouted, tears fell off her face.

"I...wish I could do it." Whale replied, saddened by her reaction.

In that moment, Rebecca's necklace shone with green lights. For a moment, it seemed to turn blue, but it lasted for a few moments that nobody actually noticed it. Everyone's attention was drawn towards the throne that replied to the call. It shone with green lights and moved towards them. Their surprise grew when it didn't stop in front of Rebecca, but in front of Master Whale.

"You're the new king," the swan breathed, as if a giant burden fell off her chest, "King Whale, how does it sound? I really like it."

"Am I?" He repeated, as if nothing made sense anymore.

The entire castle glowed with blue lights, conveying the message that the new ruler had been chosen; the civil war was over. "I can't believe that such a low grade servant just became the new ruler," Octopus complained looking at them.

From the outside, the three tribes shouted his name, willing to see their new king. The Royal Guard bowed at him, except for one. Viper, Mantis, Crane and the humans reached Rebecca happy to see that things worked out somehow at the end.

"That's a shame," the cheetah mocked her, "We were ready to call you Your Majesty."

Mark touched her left wing and Rebecca fell on the floor. "Hey, you okay?" Emily asked ducking down.

The fox touched her. "Rebecca?" She sensed that something was wrong and called for help. "SOMEBODY! PLEASE! REBECCA'S NOT FEELING WELL."

Mantis jumped down Crane's hat, landed, and checked his unconscious friend while everyone gathered around, worried for her health.

* * *

 **If you were following the story and wondered what happened to the other chapters I'll tell you that I deleted them. Why? Because I'm rewriting the entire story. Thank you for your understanding. The new pages will be 10 times better. If you like the story please leave a review. They help me out to work faster, boost me up XD**


	18. Weird relationships Chapter 2, P5

"Stop looking at her like that. She's gonna be okay."

"I'm not only worried about Rebecca..."

"Mantis said she probably used too much chi, but we can't actually confirm that."

"While you all were supporting her, I talked with Whale. I figured out something interesting."

"I bet it's related to Crane, isn't it?"

"He suddenly changed the moment he left to clean his hat. Can you imagine what happened?"

"Crane left for a couple of minutes. Even trying you can't change so drastically."

"He told me that his wound isn't a common wound."

"No, wait. Are you saying the scratch on his leg drove him crazy? Be serious..."

"I'm not lying. He said stonefishes have some sort of poison inside their stings."

"A poison that changes your personality?"

"It's...complicated. The effect changes based on the person hit by it."

"Actually it makes sense because Crane acted almost the opposite of how he usually behaves."

"I don't fully agree with it."

"What do you mean? You told me how it works."

"I didn't say he has been forced to change."

"You think he really meant what he did?"

"I think the poison brought outside what he kept hidden. I ask you to keep an eye on him since there's nothing we can do to heal him. He will go back to normal on his own."

"It's for the best if we don't say it to the others. They may look at him differently and things could get worse."

"Exactly. It's pointless."

* * *

Rebecca opened her eyes. The first thing she did was stare at the ceiling. For a moment, she thought she woke up at her house, laying on her bed, that everything turned back to normal like how it should have been all along. The girl realized her mistake as soon as she raised her torso and looked around.

Mark sat right next to her, sleeping. His head lay on her bed with his body kneeled on the ground. He looked after her the whole night and fell asleep in the while doing it. Rebecca smiled, it was a cute thing to do. Her gaze moved towards the opposite bed, the one where Emily should have been on. Crane was there, just like Mark, sleeping.

'What time is it? How long have I been asleep?' She asked herself finally remembering what happened.

They were back. That was her hut and her bed, but so many questions tormented her. Rebecca tried to stand while avoiding waking Mark up. She put her hands on the little shelf next to her, slowly escaped from the sheets and stood up. A green scroll previously on the shelf started to roll down. Rebecca caught it before it could fall on the floor, therefore waking everyone up.

'I've never seen a green scroll before... No wait, it's similar to the one Shifu read when we were sent to Seawe,' Rebecca thought, sitting where she wouldn't bother anyone. 'I wonder how they are. I couldn't say goodbye...'

The girl unrolled the scroll and started to read, "Greetings, Master Whale here. I hope you're okay. When you lost consciousness in front of everyone I freaked out so badly that I completely forgot that I just became king. I suspended everything and instantly brought you back to the palace with your friends. I'm sorry...I actually said it so many times, but it's the truth. I knew you were connected to the queen somehow, not because I actually knew what Octopus told me afterwards, but because I've grown with Walky before she became Queen. She was my best friend. We got you a gift for what you've done for us. Remember the pink shell I gave you? Dolphin upgraded it, but you'll probably have noticed by the time you read this."

Rebecca blushed, embarrassed. She glanced down and saw that the shell was bigger. Now it wasn't a decoration anymore. They had turned it into some sort of container for her stone, like how an oyster hid its pearl. It was beautiful.

The girl kept reading, "You'll probably wonder if it's only a decoration." Rebecca coughed. She didn't think that at all. "It gives you the ability to do bubble messages even on the surface. Why don't you try and send me a reassuring message about your health? That would be wonderful."

The swan grabbed her necklace, held it tight between her wings and put it closer to her chest. She was technically praying. Her shell turned from pink to blue and a bubble appeared. As soon as the bubble disappeared the shell turned back to pink as well.

"Look who's finally awake," Emily greeted, walking inside.

"Oh, hey Emily!" She said, raising her wing, "Good morning."

"Don't say good morning as if nothing happened!" She crossed her arms, upset.

"Well...I collapsed in front of everyone, so I guess it's okay that you guys were worried. Sorry."

"That's not the main reason," stated Tigress, walking inside after the fox.

"Uh...is something wrong?" Rebecca handed over the green scroll, "Master Whale wrote me this. Isn't he the cutest? I mean...in the message everything seemed okay."

"He wrote that message two days ago." Tigress specified, letting her understand the real problem.

"What do you mean two days?! You're saying that I've been sleeping for the past three days?!"

Rebecca's scream woke up Mark and Crane, "Who's yelling like that at this hour?" The cheetah questioned, lowering his head from the bed. He yawned, then scratched his eyes, but his drowsiness disappeared as soon as he saw the swan awake. "ABOUT TIME YOU DECIDED TO GET BACK TO US. I WAS MAJORLY WORRIED."

The swan's face turned red, even if she knew already. "Thank you for everything..." Rebecca mumbled.

Crane didn't seem to be happy for their close friendship. He jumped between the two, behaving as if he didn't notice anything, and checked Rebecca. "Mantis said that you used too much chi in an unusual way, causing you to be excessively exhausted." The bird touched Rebecca's forehead, measuring her temperature. "You're slightly hot, maybe you should rest some more."

The swan felt extremely uncomfortable and backed away "No, no. I'm okay, really."

Mark gulped, fearing Crane's reaction, "I'm going to call everyone." He moved past Tigress and Emily and went outside.

It didn't take much for everyone to gather there, but the hut was too small to let them in. The majority of them waited outside where they would be able to hear everything without problem. Po rushed in, even if he shouldn't have. A giant panda like him occupied too much space for such a little house. "Rebecca!" He shouted, giddy.

"Hey! How's it going?" She smiled, recovering her composure. Po's presence made everything lighter.

"YOU HAVE TO TELL ME EVERYTHING. YOUR ADVENTURE, THE FRIENDS YOU'VE MADE, THE THINGS YOU'VE DISCOVERED, YOUR ROOTS, ANYTHING!" Po screamed, overly excited. The panda kneeled down to reach her height, grabbed her wings with his paws, and begged.

Tigress seemed ready to throw him outside but Fulvio's appearance stopped her.

"OH, NO! YOU WON'T DO THIS THING AGAIN." Fulvio ducked down, grabbed his feet and dragged him away.

"LET ME GO!" Po worthlessly tried to struggle free. His left paw reached out for something to grip on, but nobody helped him.

"DON'T ACT LIKE A CHILD. EMILY, VIPER, MANTIS, CRANE AND MARK TOLD YOU EVERYTHING ALREADY. HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?!"

"BUT I HAVE TO KNOW EVERY SINGLE POINT OF VIEW: WHAT THEY FELT, WHAT THEY THOUGHT, MAYBE SHE KNOWS SOMETHING MORE…NOOOO..." His voice grew faint as he disappeared from everyone's sight.

Rebecca laughed, "I'll be happy to tell him everything he wants to know later."

Lastly, Shifu walked inside. "I'd like to have a moment alone with our swan here. Please leave," he commanded, beating his staff on the floor twice, simulating the sound of paws walking towards the exit.

"Did you find the answers you were looking for?" He curiously asked, waiting for everyone to get out. Shifu sat on the opposite bed. His gaze locked upon her.

"I...discovered weird things, but everything's still a mess. Why are we connected to ancient heroes of this world if we don't even belong here?"

"Our previous grandmaster, Oogway, left small traces behind, but you can't erase the truth completely. Once you find an answer new questions rise. At least, have you found your path?"

"My path?"

Shifu stood up. "Warriors aren't labels created for people who fight and destroy everything in their way." He headed towards the exit, "A true warrior is able to win without killing anybody."

Rebecca stood there, paralyzed, mostly surprised. How did he know about her feelings towards this situation? She didn't tell anybody.

"I honestly can't handle him," the cheetah said sitting next to her. He had eavesdropped on the conversation and snuck inside as the perfect combination of a cat and a thief. "I'm starting to think that he prepares them beforehand, saves them somewhere, and when it's time, spits them out."

"I understood what he wanted to tell me," the swan responded, staring down, "I shouldn't be scared..."

Mark grinned, "I can help you with that. Just give me your diary. I want to read it."

Rebecca turned red again, her embarrassment growing further. "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" she shouted, shoving the cheetah outside the room, "YOU ARE BANISHED FROM EVERYTHING THAT'S RELATED TO ME FOREVER!" The swan slammed the door, propped herself on it and slid down, sighing. She noticed that her room was actually a mess. Piece of papers, dishes and card games everywhere on the floor.

There was a knock on the door. The swan instantly stood up, opened it and shouted, "I SAID GO AWAY, MARK!"

"Uh...you okay?" Emily asked, surprised.

"Ah...sorry, thought you were Mark," she replied, moving aside.

The fox walked in, and the swan closed the door again, "I didn't notice, I swear."

Emily silently started to clean their room; gathering every card together, collecting dishes and bowls, then carefully organizing them by putting the plates first and the big bowls above.

"What did you guys do in here while I was unconscious? It's a mess in here!" Rebecca asked, fixing the sheets and placing them perfectly on the beds.

"We wanted to be sure you were okay, so we decided to take turns looking after you," the fox said, gathering leftovers scattered on the floor.

"I actually skipped a party inside my room. That's what you wanted to say."

She chuckled, "It was quite entertaining, I have to say."

"THAT'S SO UNFAIR! WHY AM I ALWAYS THE ONE WHO LOSES OUT ON THE FUN PARTS?!"

"I promise we'll do it again. You should have seen Po choking himself trying to not laugh with his mouth stuffed with dumplings." Emily said, teasing her.

"I hate you! Don't tell me anything. I would die to see it..."

"Die...huh?" Emily's face turned suddenly gloomy, as if a bad memory struck her mind.

"You okay?" Rebecca snatched the dishes from her paws, "Here. Let me bring those inside the temple."

"Y-yeah, thank you," she mumbled, sitting on the bed. Her eyes glanced outside, admiring the background surrounding the Jade Palace.

"If there's something troubling you please tell me. I'd like to help you..."

"..." The fox didn't reply, but a soft, reassuring smile appeared on her face instead before she nodded.

Rebecca headed outside, even if something told her that she wasn't telling her the truth.

* * *

Po wasn't screaming anymore, but he kept whining for a while until his lungs couldn't manage any longer. Fulvio dropped him on the ground, waiting for him to stop, "You done?" He asked, irritated.

"Yeah, I give up," the panda replied, panting.

Fulvio sat on his friend as if Po was some sort of chair, laid his head on his left paw and stared down. "I...wanted to thank you."

"Huh? What for?"

"Because you actually listened to me when I asked you to leave me alone. I know I haven't been the best of a friend. I'm only thinking about myself and-"

Po touched his leg, Fulvio stopped and stood up. "Hey, it's okay. I would freak out as well if, for a mysterious reason, I was sent to another world."

"It's been almost a week, Po. I...can't stop thinking about my family. What are they thinking? My mother, my little brother. I'm making everyone worry for me and I can't tell them that I'm okay!" Sadness, fear and anxiety struck his heart and his ears lowered.

"I wish I could do something for you..."

The human tilted his head, shaking off those feelings, "You have always been here to listen. There's nothing else I could ask you to do."

* * *

Rebecca was heading towards the temple willingly to get rid off the giant pile of dishes and bowls she gathered inside her hut, but stopped right in front of the border when Emily passed by with a tormented expression painted on her face.

"Hey, Rebecca, what are you doing?" Crane asked, seeing that she wasn't moving, like a statue. Only her eyes were moving following the fox.

"Do me a favor." The girl shoved the pile to a confused Crane who grabbed them reluctantly, "Bring these inside. I have something important to do."

"N-No! Wait!" The bird contested, but she quickly fled.

The swan silently followed her friend, interested to know what was wrong and eventually help her out. The fox suddenly turned invisible. Rebecca thought for a moment that she had noticed her, but as soon as the girl gave a look around she saw Fulvio and Po talking to each other. Emily was there, spying on them right behind one of the columns. A smirk appeared on her face; everything made sense now.

"There is something you can actually do for me," Fulvio said to Po.

"Really?!" His voice grew louder instantly, filled with excitement.

"You wanted to hang out, right? I'd like to see the village..." He mumbled shyly.

In that moment, Rebecca, who snuck behind Emily, pushed her right in front of them. The fox panicked and instantly turned towards the author of that terrible joke. A mixture of fear, anger and surprise hit her when Rebecca raised her wing, as if she wanted to give a thumbs up.

"Oh...hey Emily," Po greeted her.

The fox had to turn back to them, hiding Rebecca's presence. "H-hey, how's it going?" She mumbled.

Fulvio stayed silent. The thought that she might have heard everything totally scared him.

"Fulvio wanted to get something to eat. Are you busy? I can't accompany him right now..." He said, putting his right paw on his back.

The panda's eyes widened at the lie, but his embarrassment stopped him from talking while Emily seemed reluctant to answer.

"Come on, say yes!" The swan whispered from the column, "That's the answer he's waiting to hear."

The fox gulped, giving up any idea related to her running away. "S-Sure! I was actually heading there!" She replied, doing a laugh impossible to mistake for a real one.

"Ok then!" Po declared, then he got closer to Fulvio and whispered into his ear, "Good luck buddy, have fun."

Those words made the panda's face turn totally red. The black and white patterns were gone for good until Emily looked at him, then his colors instantly returned. "Shall we?" He asked, trying to act as if nothing had happened so far, and that Po hadn't organized some sort of date all of a sudden.

"Sure, let's go to Mr. Ping. I'm hungry." She lead the way, hiding her embarrassed face from him. 

Po waited, waving goodbye until they disappeared down the one thousand steps. Fulvio pointlessly tried to argue with his friend, gesticulating some sort of 'what is the meaning of this?!', Another thumbs up and a wink was his answer.

As soon as he was out of sight, the panda ducked down and rolled towards the edge of the stairs before he completely laid on the ground, silently spying on them. Rebecca saw that and laughed. The swan approached him and put her foot on his back, making him freak out, "GAH!" He shouted, scared.

Po put his paws over his mouth hoping the couple didn't hear him and turned towards Rebecca, "Were you trying to give me a heart attack?!"

The girl laughed again, "I don't believe stealth is really...your thing," she teased, raising him up, then laying him on her back. "Let's follow them from the sky."

"Can you...hold me?" He asked, perplexed.

"Weirdly enough, I actually can."

* * *

While Rebecca was in a three day coma, everyone kept training. For her, it wasn't completely bad. Leo, for example, never stopped his exercises to improve telekinesis. When Shifu saw that the human was totally able to ignore Monkey and his terrible puns, he ordered him to start an actual fight with a little surprise.

"I see that you're getting better," the red panda said, moving the scroll away from him, "Now we'll test how much endurance you've developed in these days." Shifu picked up two more scrolls and threw them at the lion. "Those must not touch the ground for any reason."

The human, hearing him, blocked them in the air with his power and moved the scrolls towards him. "Okay...it sounds manageable."

"I'm glad you think so," Shifu stated with a smile. Right behind him Simon appeared, "Show me how far you can go." The red panda moved away, letting the training start.

Monkey jumped on Leo immediately, trying to hit him, punching everywhere he could afford to. The human kept backing away, not knowing how to respond. Simon then decided to get him from behind, thinking that he wouldn't be able to escape. The lion saw him and floated away, thus the crocodile hit Monkey instead. Simon giggled as the Simian glared at him cuddling his face.

"Remember that fairness doesn't exist. Your enemies will do everything they can to put you down. It's important to learn how to fight and win under some restrictions," Shifu reminded him, watching the scene.

The lion's first thought was actually surviving. There was no way he would win that. It may sound possible to an old grand master who did this his whole life, but it indeed wasn't a fair fight to him. He was technically limited due to the scrolls he had to keep up in the air. No ideas came to mind except for dodging and running away.

"There's always a solution in every problem," their master continued, "Sometimes you just need to find the missing clue."

Leo tried to think about any sort of clue he could have left behind. Maybe he wanted to tell him to analyze the situation, to look for some flaws in their behavior? He noticed that his friends weren't much coordinated; they've never fought together before so it's understandable, but it wouldn't help him to get out of the situation.

Simon got him with his tail, throwing Leo on the floor. He endured the pain and saved the scrolls just in time. "Fine, I'll just grab them and put them down," the crocodile muttered, annoyed by his tenacity.

A realization struck him with Shifu's words echoing in his mind. 'The scrolls must not touch the ground.'

As soon as Simon ran again towards him Leo threw the scrolls up in the air, turning off his telekinesis, and blocked his punched, kicking the crocodile in the stomach using his left knee to push him away. The lion caught the scrolls with his paws. In that action, Monkey saw an opening. He couldn't protect himself or run away if he was still focused on Simon. The human saw him, but instead of throwing the scrolls away or dodging him, he gathered them in one paw, waited, and used them as some sort of bat, hitting the Simian in the face.

Shifu's raised his hand. "That's enough. I'm glad you can think of a strategy in the middle of a fight, but remember that they won't give you enough time."

"I thought he couldn't let the scrolls go. Nobody mentioned that he could use them as weapons," Simon muttered, crossing his arms.

"I didn't say how he should have kept them in the air," Shifu remarked, "I just said don't let them touch the ground."

The old master sent the lion away, then headed towards the other humans who were training with their partners, stopping in front of Mark. "I need to see your abilities against someone on your level." He pointed his staff at the cheetah, "I'd like to see you spar with Crane."

Viper felt like he knew about what happened between them and not just their silly quarrel. She moved closer with an intent to keep an eye on the situation. In fact, she pretended to act normal while doing her daily training inside the training hall.

"Today's training is over," Shifu exclaimed, beating his staff on the floor, "Everyone out except for Crane and Mark."

The serpent froze. Did he notice her? The sudden decision cleared away every doubt she had. Her master knew, but she couldn't say if that was a good or bad thing.

"Master, is something wrong?" Tigress complained while everyone left, "You've never done this before. You even let Po and Fulvio skip their training today."

"I believe everyone is different. I can't force someone to stay in here if they aren't ready to do so." A smirk appeared on his face, making Tigress unsure of what he actually said.

"Sure, I don't doubt your judgement," she humbly replied, bowing to him, then she left.

"I heard there were some...disagreements while you were on the mission," Shifu began, looking at them.

"Forgive me, master," Crane said, bowing, "I let my emotions get the best of me. That is unforgivable."

Mark crossed his arms and gave them his back. "I can't stand the ones who don't say what they really think."

The bird glared at him, "You think I'm lying? I really mean those things."

"I have no reason to talk with someone like you, honestly. The facts tell things, not the words," the cheetah said, leaving the training hall. 

Crane narrowed his eyes, angered by his behaviour, and tried to attack him. Mark didn't expect it, and when he turned to him it was too late. 

"Enough!" Shifu shouted, jumping between them. He blocked Crane's kick with his staff and pushed him away, "If you want to fight against someone who can't match your skills you have to go through me first." 

The bird's eyes widened, realising his mistake. "I-I…" He tried to mumble something back, but there was no excuse for such terrible behavior and he knew that. Crane covered his guilty face behind his hat and flew outside.

"I see, that's interesting," Shifu commented, rubbing his chin.

"What's so interesting in Crane trying to kill me?!" Mark muttered back, "First Rebecca, now him. I guess it's a birdie thing."

The red panda ignored him. "You can come out, Simon. I actually need your help. We're missing a partner for Mark."

"A sparring partner, huh?" The crocodile taunted, walking outside his hideout right behind the entrance, "Can I break him?"

Mark shivered, fists clenched together. "But that wouldn't be a spar anymore, right?" He glanced towards Shifu, seeking some reassurance. "Why aren't you replying?"


	19. Love is complicated Chapter 2, P6

Leo closed himself inside his hut from the moment his daily training ended. Sitting on his chair, the lion wrote things on several scrolls at the same time. There wasn't enough space for him with scrolls practically everywhere; on his shelf, his bed, Mark's bed, even on the floor, half unrolled. At first, the tools he had to work with seemed weird and awkward. Leo still wished for a real pen and a clean, white piece of paper. A feather wasn't really a comfortable tool to write down theories and thoughts, but he passively accepted everything they had to offer.

"Leo! You there?" Mantis called from the outside.

"Uh-huh..." He replied, acknowledging his presence, but still focused on his work.

"Hey..." The bug said, sliding the door open and walking inside, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to find some answers..." Leo mumbled quickly, moving the scroll he was currently work on to write on another one.

"Answers? About what?" Mantis jumped on the shelf and curiously glanced over his work.

"About everything, Mantis..." The lion said, using his telekinesis to gather the scrolls, "We know practically nothing..."

"We learned that you guys are the ancient heroes, that's a start."

"I don't know Mantis. That's not a thing I can confirm so easily...First, I'd like to discover how my world has been connected to yours."

"That's what Shifu said. Don't you believe him?"

"I didn't say that. The element of sharing the same personality is an important clue. We know why we've been chosen, that's important."

Mantis took a peek at the scroll. "Then...why am I here too?" He asked, pointing his right pincher to some drawings of him, the human and the lion.

"Because I don't think I'm the only one connected to them. Think about it. Isn't it weird that only your chi brought me here? I'm sure that yours couldn't have brought a Simon or a Mark."

"Maybe that's why Shifu paired us with the human we found..."

"And there's more! I want to know what kind of bond we share, what happened in the past that caused our worlds to have a relation between each other and...are we here really to seal a portal? What makes us so important? Couldn't you guys do it? I can't believe we have been dragged here just for that."

"Leo, Leo, Leo. You have to calm down, okay? Why don't you rest a bit? I'm pretty sure you didn't sleep to make those."

"I'm sorry, that's a bad habit of mine. I can't sleep knowing I didn't do anything..."

"Rebecca woke up. Maybe she found something interesting."

The lion's ears instantly raised hearing the news that gave him a reason to keep going. He stood up and went for the door, but Mantis blocked the way. "STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE."

"What's wrong?"

Mantis glared at him, crossing his pinchers. "You know."

The human rolled his eyes to the sky. "Okay, I get it. I'll ask her later."

"Don't look at me like that! It's not healthy. You can think better with a fresh mind."

* * *

Shifu's eyes moved side to side, switching from Mark to Simon. The training course helped him to better understand what kind of fighting style suited them best. The crocodile excelled in parts using his strength; he broke everything that stood in his path. The cheetah, instead, didn't show any interest on destroying stuff, but gracefully dodged every obstacle in his way, already showing a great control over his agile body.

"Okay, I've seen enough," Shifu said, calling them back to him, "I'm surprised to see such development in such short time."

"Yeah, yeah. Mark's really good at dodging. Thanks for pointing that out. You don't win a fight by just moving around. You must also fight back. I didn't see any punch or kick," the crocodile complained, crossing his arms.

"I've never punched before," the cheetah admitted.

"You serious?" Simon's eyes widened while a fang pointed at him.

"I dislike violence, but if we have to, I'll try."

"Let me get this straight. You're a thief and have survived stealing what you needed, yet...you've never fought."

"Basically."

Simon put his claws on his face, trying to contain himself. "Okay... never thought I would say this, but let's teach you a thing or two about classic fights."

* * *

A panda and a fox were on their way to Mr. Ping's restaurant. Their silence was way more different than the one they shared their first time together. No one had the intention of saying something. Fulvio was looking at his left, Emily her right, both staring into the background. Rebecca, with Po on top of her, saw everything happening while flying in the sky.

"Can I ask you a question?" The swan asked, staring down the thousand steps.

"Yeah."

"Does Fulvio feel something for her? I mean... you acted like you knew everything all along."

"Wait, wait, wait," Po repeated moving his paws, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not a romantic guy! I just saw Emily's face and understood that she probably had to tell him something important, alone."

Rebecca remembered how weird she had acted while they were cleaning the hut, but it didn't make any sense. "We have to help them," she stated, worried.

"That's something I would totally do, but how? We can't just land in front of them..."

"Pull one of my feathers."

"Huh?!" Po startled, surprised by the unexpected request.

"Pull one and throw it at them like a shuriken! You...can do it, right?"

"Of course I can, but you're literally asking me to hurt them!"

"It's a feather," she remarked, "and... you just need to aim somewhere safe. It will help them break the ice. They will help each other by carrying the other one all the way to the restaurant, for example. Such a romantic situation!" Rebecca exclaimed, blushing.

"Y-Yeah… totally," Po mumbled sarcastically.

Fulvio bit his lips, slowly turned to Emily and said, "Emily, listen I-" As soon as the fox turned towards him, the courage built up along the way instantly disappeared, so he panicked. "I...wanted to point out how beautiful this day is!" He said, adding an awkward laugh.

Emily raised a brow, "It...sure is nice?" she agreed, not sure of what he wanted to do.

Rebecca narrowed her eyes looking at that scene. "Come on! You saw that, right? Do something Po!"

Po's face twisted with worry. The peer pressure plus the awkward situation brought more anxiety upon him. "J-just one, okay?" The panda mumbled, still unsure of what he was doing.

"I promise. I won't force you to do it again. As soon as you throw it I'll fly somewhere safe where they won't see us," the swan reassured.

The Dragon Warrior took one and checked if what she planned to do was possible. While Rebecca complained about how strong he had pulled the feather, the panda noticed something interesting and unusual. The feather was extremely sharp as if she took care of it everyday, but, knowing her, that was impossible. "Fine… let's see what I can do."

Po moved the feather a few times, focused by closing his eyelids, and threw the feather at Fulvio. Rebecca's enthusiasm crumbled when the Dragon Warrior missed and the feather landed right behind them, planting itself on the step.

"Oops... I missed," Po said, smiling. "That's very, very bad, but we tried, right?"

"You missed on purpose, didn't you?" The swan asked, upset.

"Me?! Don't be stupid I would never-"

"Then try again."

"We agreed on just one, remember?"

"We also agreed on hitting one of them!"

"I'm a warrior not an archer!"

Their quarrel became loud enough that Fulvio heard them from the distance. His right ear raised and his head instantly turned towards the source. The panda stopped and stared at them, too scared to understand what they were doing. He knew that whatever they wanted to do he was going to be involved in it.

Emily noticed that Fulvio wasn't coming and turned to him, concerned. "Is everything alright?"

The panda quickly lowered his head, hoping that she wouldn't check the sky. "Yes!" He shouted far too loudly, "All good here."

The fox didn't believe him. She crossed her arms and turned around, trying to see what he saw, but couldn't find anything. "Uhm... you sure?"

She came so close that Fulvio had to walk backwards, "Yeah I thought I saw some- AUGH!"

The panda, walking away, stepped on the thrown feather sharp enough to sting him as soon as he touched it. Fulvio lost balance and fell. The fox caught him, therefore avoiding a rumbling fall downstairs. "You're giving me quite the hard time you know..."

"At least I'm not boring you," he stated standing up, "Ever thought about puzzles?"

"What?"

"Yeah, gather the clues I've been dropping and reach the truth!"

Emily snorted, "That doesn't make any sense. I thought I saved you, but I'm starting to think you bumped your head somewhere!"

"I honestly have no idea of what I'm saying and why I said that," he quickly justified, walking past her then running towards the village.

The fox laughed, looking at him going away, "That's okay! I'll try to solve the puzzle!"

Emily ducked down and pulled out the feather stuck inside the step. "I guess this is easiest difficulty," she thought out loud, putting the feather inside her pocket before heading to Fulvio, who headed towards Mr. Ping's place.

* * *

The swan laid on the ground, exhausted. She pushed herself too much, but at least Rebecca learned how to land right. Po raised her and put her on his back. She was lighter than anyone else, except for Mantis, and was easy to carry.

"This... shouldn't have... happened," she breathed out, trying to fill her tired lungs.

"Relax, everything's fine. We actually helped them using the less harmful way," Po said, walking down the village.

"To Mr. Ping, right?" She asked, laying her face on the softest spot she could have found around Po's neck.

"I'm sure they will come here," he replied, turning to the left, then heading to the backdoor entrance. "We shall wait here and watch the scene from the kitchen," the panda knocked on the door, "and let me do the thinking part this time."

"LI SHAN!" Ping shouted from the kitchen.

"WHAT IS IT?" The giant panda replied back from the second floor of the house.

"THAT PIG'S BACK!"

"PIG? YOU MEAN THE ONE WHO WANTED TO SELL YOU THAT FUTURISTIC LADLE?"

"YES! CAN YOU TELL HIM TO GO AWAY? I'M KINDA BUSY HERE..."

"I'D LIKE TO DO SO, BUT I'M BUSY TOO!"

"IT'S GETTING ANNOYING. NOBODY IS GOING TO FALL FOR HIS TRICK. ANYONE CAN SEE THAT THING IS A FAKE."

"IS IT? I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY GOOD."

"YOU'RE SO NAIVE SOMETIMES. IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A NORMAL LADLE AND HE WANTED US TO BUY IT AT A HIGHER PRICE."

"OR...MAYBE YOU'RE TOO PARANOID."

Po's eyes danced from the first floor to the second one, following their voices. "Uh...dads? It's me, Po! Open the door."

"Po? What are you doing here?" Ping asked. Sounds of dishes and iron tools clashing together could be heard inside the kitchen while waiting for him to open the door.

"Wait, do you have two fathers?" Rebecca curiously inquired, getting down from Po's back.

"Isn't it awesome?"

"So… do you have two moms as well?"

"That would be so cool, but no. My adoptive father never married and my biological mother sacrificed herself in order to save me when I was cub," Po explained nonchalantly, as if it was a thing everyone did every day.

"I see…" The swan replied reluctantly, caught off by Po simplicity, "Thanks."

"Son why did you use this entrance? Is something wrong?" Ping said as soon as he unlocked the door, letting Po inside.

"We're waiting for a thing," Po mumbled, not sure of how to explain the concept of spying his friends' date, "A mission. Let's say that."

"We?" Ping remarked, confused. Until he saw the swan behind the panda.

"Hi, nice to meet you!" Rebecca waved her wing at him.

Ping gasped, turned towards the stairs and shouted, "LI! COME OVER HERE. NOW!"

Li Shan didn't reply, but his lousy footsteps climbing downstairs did for him, "I told you I was writing a message for the village, what's wrong? Did the pig go away?"

"Hey dad!" Po said, waving his paw.

"Lotus!" He said, heading for a hug, but stopped halfway to the end when he saw that beautiful bird next to him, "Ohhh... and what we have here."

Ping instantly went to Rebecca and checked her thoroughly, "Interesting," He said to himself, rubbing his beak, "Show me your wings."

"I'm sorry?" Rebecca replied, startled, but she couldn't argue because grabbed them and opened her wings to see for himself.

"Dad what are you doing?" Po asked, confused.

"Ok, son. I didn't expect you to fall in love with a bird, but I understand and respect your choice, besides she's really good looking." Ping said, smiling happily.

Po blushed, caught off guard by that misunderstanding, "Dad what have you understood!"

"That's something I wasn't ready for, I admit it." Li said, overwhelmed by that news, "I'll try to be a good grandfather."

The swan laughed in the background while Po tried to tell them the truth, "Dads, she's not my girlfriend!"

"What were you expecting us to think. You come here alone with a girl!" Ping said, upset. "I want a nephew. I won't live forever!"

Li Shan ducked down and whispered to Ping, "I thought it was a bit strange, I remembered he liked that tiger girl..."

Rebecca poked Po with her wing, "Uhhhh that's interesting."

The Dragon Warrior covered his red, embarrassed face with his paw, "We're here to watch over our friends, nothing else."

"You mean Fulvio with that fox over there?" Li Shan said, pointing his finger at them.

Po instantly grabbed his arm, lowered it down and with Rebecca looked for a place to hide.

"Should I take that as don't tell them we're here?" Ping said, letting Li Shan go to them.

"Dad..." Po whispered, slowly raising his head out of his hideout, "Give me an update on the situation, I can't see it clearly..."

"Po, I don't understand what should I tell you. Fulvio and that fox are giving their orders to Li," then his eyelids lowered, annoyed, "and your friend's taking so much to decide what to eat."

"Oh, that is normal," Po said, "How do they look like? Is the fox happy? Smiling? And Fulvio?"

"The fox is laughing," Ping explained, "I agree with her. He's being over dramatic."

"Don't say that!" Po said, "He has a hard time when it comes to eat..."

"Hard time..." Rebecca repeated, upset, "Fulvio hates everything, such a spoilt kid."

Po stood up and looked at them for himself, a soft happy smile appeared on his face when he saw them talking, laughing and enjoying each other's company, "I think we should leave now..." moving his eyes at the swan.

"Can't we stay until the end?" Rebecca asked, "I understand you'd like to not interrupt them, but..." she stood up as well and stared at Emily.

"Rebecca, I don't think this is a good idea..." Po said, while Li Shan came back inside the kitchen.

"How did it go?" The swan walked past the dragon warrior and went toward Li Shan.

"Fine?" He replied, extremely confused, "Who wouldn't be happy after receiving a message about Nova's ancient history."

Po widened his eyes and moved Rebecca away, "What? Did I skip something?"

Li Shan put his paw on his face, "Sorry I forgot to tell you. I've been exchanging letters with the panda village and something came out when they heard that name. Someone's on his way here to bring us useful information," then he turned to Ping, "Those two want some noodles soups by the way."

"Who's Nova?" The swan asked from behind Po's back, "Is he an hero like the one I have?"

"Yeah, something like that," Po nodded.

"READY!" Ping shouted, handing over the soups to Li Shan.

"Once they finish fly back to the palace as fast as you can. I have a thing to finish and I'd like to do it before Fulvio will be back," Po explained, toying with an action figure among his paws.

* * *

Emily glued her eyes at Fulvio from the moment their food arrived. She saw how happy he was, how he enjoyed the simplest things they did together. A smile appeared on her face, followed by a giggle when he literally threw his face inside the dish, but something bugged her. It didn't let her fully enjoy the time they were spending together. She turned towards her own plate and her appetite was gone. The fox put the chopsticks inside and started to play with the noodles inside, twisting them together.

"Weren't you hungry?" Fulvio asked, stopping from eating. A few noodles were still hanging down his mouth and the chopsticks.

"Y-Yeah, I am..."

The panda quickly cleaned himself and put down the sticks, "I know something's wrong, but you can still pretend to be alright if you want to..."

The fox took a deep breath, "You're right. I wanted to not hurt your feelings, but this is stupid. I'll be blunt. Do you like me?"

Fulvio felt weird. He didn't think about it nevertheless her question struck deep inside his chest, his heart rumbled as it never did before. The panda might have developed some feelings for her unconsciously. Fulvio bit his lips, while his face turned red. He tried to find a more comfortable position on his chair, rubbing his now sweaty paws on his legs, "I think you're nice and I really like your company."

Emily couldn't find enough courage to look into his eyes when he said that, "This is really hard for me to say, I'll hope you understand. We can't hang out anymore."

"..." The panda looked down, staring into his own reflex the soup gave back to him. He didn't know what to say or think. He felt empty.

"I'm sorry."

Those words triggered something within and, even if he didn't talk, tears fell off his face, "I'm sorry too."

The fox instinctively reached out for him, lending her paw towards the panda, but he pushed it away, "No, don't touch me," he said, tilting his head, then Fulvio stood up and ran away, leaving her alone.

Emily watched as he disappeared outside, her paw still moving towards him, but no word came out to call him back. She sighed, putting her paws on her face, then laying on the table. The fox knew that any choice she was going to pick it would have ended the same way, this one just hurt less than the others.


	20. Opinions Chapter 2, P7

**I'm really sorry for my hiatus. I took a month, but I never even thought about abandoning the story. Thanks for sticking up with me.**

* * *

It happened so fast that Rebecca couldn't believe what had transpired. For a second she thought she may have skipped something. Her eyes glued to Emily's figure in the distance, blinking incredulously at the surrealistic situation. The swan usually knew what to do, always the first to react, even if it meant following her messed up instinct, but in that moment Rebecca froze.

"PO, WAIT! YOU CAN'T JUST-"

The swan finally came back to her senses when Ping's awfully loud voice rang in her head. She turned around noticing that Po wasn't there anymore before recalling him mentioning something about him paying for their lunch, then he mumbled about catching up with Fulvio.

"I can't accept my son's money," Ping said, handing over Rebecca a little bag filled with Juan. "Can you give it back?"

The swan accepted the bag reluctantly, "Sure..." she breathed out, turning back to Emily.

Her position didn't change from the moment Fulvio ran away. After hanging the bag around her waist, the swan flew over.

"Care to explain?" Rebecca asked, upset about everything: from her choices to her final reaction, as if Emily had just given up.

"There's nothing to explain..." the fox replied. She didn't even turn to look at her. Emily simply remained with her face on the table; only her lower jaw moved to form words.

Whatever Emily was thinking, the swan didn't buy it. "I know you like him, so why did you do that?"

The fox raised her head from the table. "I just did what I had to do. Please don't make this harder for us."

"For us," Rebecca laughed, hearing how her friend entitled herself with the power to choose for Fulvio as well. "Whatever the reason is, you did it for a selfish reason. That guy didn't decide anything."

"I'm not selfish! If you could understand you wouldn't say that!" She said, bumping her fist on the table.

"Then go ahead. Tell me why."

Emily trembled, turning her head away and clenched her teeth, "My actual condition is...unknown."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember what I said when we talked about our last moments in our world before...this?"

Rebecca slowly nodded, feeling that some bad news was coming.

"I recovered those memories. It happened while you were asleep."

"So?" The swan had to push her to keep talking because she stopped and started to stare into the nothingness.

"I... may no longer be alive."

"What are you saying..?" Rebecca stepped away. This was something she could never have anticipated.

"... I was tormented. How was I supposed to stay here, waiting to do God-knows-what, knowing something like that? I had nobody to talk to. I mean, what they could do about it? If I'm dead, you must accept it."

"What was it?"

"A car accident, someone ran me over."

"Emily, I-"

"I'm sorry? If that's what you were going to say please keep it to yourself. You can't help everyone and what you did made my situation worse! I didn't want to ask him to hang out, I was waiting. I had to talk to him alone, I wanted to save him from further pain..."

"Still... IT WASN'T YOUR CHOICE TO MAKE! HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN! HE TRUSTED YOU AND YOU SIMPLY BETRAYED HIM!"

"You'll never understand the situation or how I feel."

"Hmph… Mom said the same and look what she did to me..." The swan mumbled to herself, not loud enough for Emily to hear. She flew away, heading back to the palace.

* * *

Po hurried back to the thousand steps, willing to catch up with Fulvio. He felt like he had to though he didn't know what to say once he found him. The panda knew that something about their conversation was off. If Po could imagine what it was, his help could fix their mistakes.

"Rebecca..!?"

In the middle of his run, the swan passed by, flying back to the palace. He hadn't even noticed her presence until a bag full of yuan fell from the sky and landed right in front of him. Po raised his head and saw her, calling out to no avail. She was upset somehow. He wondered what she said to Emily and what her reply was. Po felt... useless. His friends were suffering for reasons he couldn't understand!

Fulvio was now in sight. Po was faster than him, and right at the bottom of the stairs, the panda caught his friend by grabbing his brown jacket.

"Lemme...talk to you for a sec..." The Dragon Warrior was exhausted from all that running. He took a deep breath, then tried to dry off his sweat by moving his arm across his forehead. "Don't run off like that. You know it's hard for me to follow you..."

"Where did I go wrong?" Fulvio inquired, sniffing.

"Listen, there's nothing with-"

"I should have lied!" He said, upset, "That way she wouldn't have to push me away..."

Po narrowed his eyes and turned the human towards him ready to speak his mind, but his determination to sort things out softened upon looking at his face invaded by tears flowing rapidly down flushed cheeks.

"You did the right thing. Why would you even think to lie? Will that make you happy? Knowing that you didn't open up to her just because you wanted to keep her close to you?"

"I think I really love her..."

"That's why you have to let her go. If she und-"

"Please, stop! You know nothing about these things, yet you're giving me advice on how I should handle it! IF YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL YOU WOULDN'T SAY THAT!"

Po's eyes widened, upset by his reply. The panda was paralyzed. Fulvio moved Po's paws from his shoulders, turned towards the stairs again, and began to run away. The Dragon Warrior stood there, watching him leave until it was pointless to look at the fading figure. A part of him hoped that Fulvio would stop, turn around, and simply apologize, but he knew it wasn't going to happen.

Po glanced down at his feet, looking at the bag Rebecca gave back to him . He ducked down and grabbed it.

"I... know how you feel, Fulvio," Po stated aloud, regretting his choice to stay silent. A sigh escaped his mouth.

* * *

The crocodile didn't say a word, carefully following the cheetah's movements above him.

Mark was simply taking advantage of his disposition to climb and run faster than anyone else. The animal seemed to have quite some fun jumping from column to column, dancing around the training course, and laying his body on chained logs while using his tail to lower himself down.

"So... uh... can you explain to me again what's the purpose of doing this? I mean...it is fun, but will this really help me in a fight?" Mark questioned, putting his hands behind his head to form some sort of pillow for the upside-down cheetah.

"Physical strength may be important, but there are plenty of things you can use to conquer your opponent. For example, you could easily disorient your foe if he can't stick his eyes on you," Shifu explained, stroking his beard.

"I'd like to test your strength though. Come here and try to hit me," Simon ordered, raising his claws to defend himself.

"Okay, let's see what this awesome body can offer!" Mark exclaimed, dropping down.

The cheetah jumped to the crocodile as soon as his feet touched the ground. Simon held back his punch, putting his arm in the way as a shield. Mark's eyes widened in shock. Simon didn't attack him, yet he hurt him. The crocodile grinned and pushed him away, opening his arms.

"Don't tell me that you thought giving a punch wasn't going to hurt you," the reptile mocked, looking at Mark as he cuddled his paw with the other one.

"I wasn't expecting it to be so hard..."

"That's because you never did it before. You need to learn how control and tolerate the pain."

Shifu pulled something white from his vest and threw it to Mark, "You shouldn't fight a crocodile barehanded on the first try. Protect your paws."

"Bandages?" The cheetah asked, catching the roll.

"I see. This is going to be a hard one then," Simon said, amused and interested.

Mark wrapped his paws with the bandages Shifu gave to him and resumed his training. The cheetah started to do consequential attacks; one punch after another using both paws. Mark's face clearly portrayed fatigue and pain, but this time he wasn't going to stop, determined to do his best. Over time his attacks became stronger and faster. The improvements Mark had in such a short time were unbelievable! Simon really struggled to hold his place and not fight back. The cheetah's necklace started to shine, surprising the crocodile enough that he lowered his arms and Mark's punch went through, hitting Simon's face. The cheetah froze. He didn't expect to be able to get him. Simon quickly turned his body and slapped Mark on the ground with his tail.

"That's what you get for using such a cheap tactic on me!" He angrily replied.

"What... are you talking about?!" The feline opposed, standing up again.

"Don't play dumb with me! Your necklace didn't shine for no reason."

"It was just for a brief moment, but yes it did shine," Shifu confirmed, "I gathered some valuable knowledge with today's training. For now please rest and try to avoid Crane for a while. I'll ask Monkey to stay closer to you for the time being."

"This isn't something I usually say, but don't get killed. I want to see how far you can go," Simon grinned, threatening him with his fangs.

Mark walked away, raising his paws. "I think you're the one who's trying right now!"

"Our bodies don't share the same wounds. Keep that in mind, it may be useful in the future." -

The swan landed right in front her hut, slid the door open and closed it when she walked inside. Rebecca couldn't contain her emotions or her pain any longer. She kept chanting, "I don't want to hear this again, I can't deal with this any longer". The swan covered her head with her wings, sat on the bed and struggled to keep herself composed. Her eyelids squeezed shut, as if the stress would ease the harder she squeezed . Nothing was working! Her memory brought back to life the nightmare once again.

"Mom...you okay? You're so cold..." A young girl observed, touching and cuddling her mother who's been laid on a bed.

"I'll cover you with another blanket." She hurried back with a huge comforter probably made for bigger beds.

"Dad? What's wrong with Mom? Why isn't she waking up? Did I do something wrong?" The girl cried out, asking a busy man who seemed too focused on talking with someone on the phone.

"What are you doing? Please stop... Don't touch her! Why are they covering her?! She won't be able to breath!" The young child screamed, violently shaking her father's shirt and hoping that it would make him take action.

"Dad why aren't you stopping them?" She fell on her knees, watching the strangers moving her mother away from the bed. She couldn't leave.

"DON'T TAKE MY MOM AWAY FROM ME!" Rebecca shot back up and desperately chased after them, since her father wasn't.

"MOM! MOM!" The girl kept shouting her name, while her father now held her down. She struggled until her rage wore off.

"...Was it my fault?" She sobbed, staring at her dad who simply vanished, allowing her to stand up.

"You can't save everyone. I'm dead, Rebecca." Emily's voice rang through her head. That phrase struck harder than anything else she ever heard in her entire life.

Rebecca shot her eyes open when a knocking sound brought her back to...this reality.

"Hey! Can I come in? I know you're in there!" Viper's voice happily hummed, oblivious of everything.

The swan felt her wet face and found it weird how she didn't notice she was crying until now. "Y-Yes! Just give me a sec," she replied, pretending to be okay.

The girl quickly wiped away her tears and fixed herself. She didn't want to let them know about it. As soon as she felt decent enough, the swan went towards the door and slid it open, finding the snake waiting outside with a green scroll wrapped around her tail.

"Is that from Seawe?" She asked, pointing at the message.

"That's right." The serpent moved her tail towards her, handing over the scroll. "I guessed it was for you once it arrived. No one read it, don't worry. Mark tried, I admit, but I slapped him away."

"Thanks," Rebecca said to cut the conversation short and get back inside.

"Wait!" Viper hesitated, sliding her tail in the way as the bird was closing the door.

"Is there...something else you need?"

"Do you know where Emily is? I've been looking for her all around the palace."

The girl, annoyed, narrowed her eyes. She would have preferred Viper's concern instead of a stupid question about...her. "If she didn't come back yet then she must be at Ping's place."

"I see, thank-" Before Viper could finish her phrase, Rebecca closed the door. She blinked, staring at the closed door, disoriented by that reaction.

"I'll get going... then," she murmured, lowering her voice as the phrase tumbled out of her mouth. Not sure if leaving like that was going to be rude towards the human, but she received some 'don't-talk-to-me' vibes and Viper's awkward behavior instantly increased. She wondered if they had an argument of something, but that thought died as she slithered down the thousand steps and saw a crying Fulvio running back towards the place she just left.

"Hey! What's wrong?!" She shouted, trying to get his attention, but he didn't stop.

Viper's concern grew more and some thoughts made her realize that more people were involved in some delicate matter that clearly went wrong.

"Don't waste time following him. I already tried..."

The kung fu master turned back towards the voice to see a disappointed Po looking at her.

"Can you tell me what happened?" She impatiently asked, eager to know and do something.

The panda stayed silent for a while, then glanced over his father's restaurant. "She will eventually tell you everything," Po sighed, "Go and get her. She won't leave unless someone picks her up."

Viper raised her head and stared at the defeated panda. His expression was able to tell her so many things that she didn't even need to ask for more. She slithered past him and went down the stairs as fast as possible.

"I hope you'll be luckier than me..."

* * *

Viper was now determined to know everything and there was nothing she could do to escape from her. Po's fathers were arguing right outside the restaurant's entrance. She had a vague idea of what their problem was and the reason why, but there were more pressing matters to attend to. She slithered past them after giving them a quick "Good afternoon, I'm here for her", and then she went for that very table where her target hadn't moved from for hours.

"...Did they send you here?" Emily said, with an annoyed tone.

"No, I sent myself." The serpent responded as if she was already scolding her.

"...I see." Emily, who was laying her body on the table again with that depressed attitude, now moved only her body in the opposite direction, hoping she would just disappear like everyone else.

Viper pushed the table away, forcing her to stay still on the chair, otherwise she would have fallen to the ground.

"Don't make me drag you all the way back to the palace," the snake threatened, "I did it once and I'll do it again."

The fox wasn't in the best mood to oppose to her. She rolled her eyes and stood up, "I don't need a mom."

"You're causing troubles for Po's fathers. They need to work in here and you're occupying a place that a customer was going to use. Now apologize to them and let's head back."

Emily knew she had to, but her pride was holding her back. "I'm sorry," she quickly said when she walked near them, as if apologizing was such a bother.

"Emily!" Viper wrapped her tail around her arm, stopping her. "Why are you acting like this? This isn't you. What's wrong?"

"How can you say that? You don't know me at all."

"I saw Fulvio on my way to get here."

The girl's instantly eyes widened as she looked at her, "How is he?"

"We didn't talk. He just ran past me, very upset."

"Did you see Rebecca too?"

"She's the one who told me where you were. What did you do to them? She was upset as well…"

"I can't go back to the palace, Viper."

"What? Don't be stupid. Is it because you can't stand to be around them after…whatever you guys did?"

"Would you? I just need some time for myself, okay? Find me a solution and I swear I'll tell you everything. I seriously need to rest somewhere."

"Promise."

"Yeah, alright. I promise. Now please end my suffering."


	21. Blinded Chapter 2, P8

"This is not what I was thinking," the girl sighed as Viper brought her back to the palace, abruptly stopping in front of Leo's hut instead of her own.

"Oh c'mon, don't be like that. I'm sure this is a better place for you right now. Were you thinking of leaving the palace?" She cheerfully replied with a warm smile, then knocked on the door of Leo's hut with her tail.

"Who's there?" The human on the inside asked. He sounded busy.

"I'm back! I brought Emily," the serpent greeted, sliding the door open.

"Oh, I see. Please come inside; I need some help from another human..." Leo addressed the scroll he was holding which was most likely another theory of his.

"That's great..." the fox sarcastically commented, walking inside.

* * *

After his training ended, the cheetah didn't really know what to do. Extremely bored, he tried to peek into Rebecca's stuff, but Viper defended that scroll as if it were a small child she had to protect no matter what. He laid himself against one of the columns outside the palace, noticing the the place where Monkey had scolded him the first time they argued.

"That's where we started..." the simian stated, jumping down from the palace's roof to land next to him.

"I wasn't thinking about it," Mark coldly opposed, crossing his arms.

"I know you were. Don't lie to me," Monkey smirked, handing over an apple.

The cheetah looked at it, taking it from his hand reluctantly. "Thanks..."

"Shifu said Crane kicked your butt."

Mark just bit into the apple before spitting it out at his friend's taunt. "THAT'S A LIE!"

"He didn't really say that," Monkey laughed, enjoying the human's reaction, "I just said what I understood."

"Crane has a crush on Rebecca..." He trailed off, looking away as if he wanted to hide his emotions on the matter.

"Really?! That's a surprise..," the simian exclaimed, thinking about another love interest of his.

"Is that even possible? I heard about couples staying together even if countries were separating them, but we're talking about two worlds and two species who shouldn't have met in the first place."

"Don't ask me. I don't know anything about these things." Monkey narrowed his eyes and walked closer towards him, "But I know something. You have a crush on her too."

Mark bit into the apple to hide his blush, but it didn't work as he thought. It was the fruit that hid among the cheetah's furry cheeks, "Who told you..?"

"The ones who saw you and Rebecca hanging out like a couple at Seawe. Holding each other's paw...wing," Monkey joked again and his laughter grew louder as the human's reaction got worse.

As the situation calmed down the human glanced over to him and, with a serious tone he never used before, asked, "Monkey, can I ask you a favor?" The cheetah waited until he saw his friend nod, "I don't think it will end well."

"Crane's a good guy. Don't say that. I'm sure he won't touch you anymore." A warm smile appeared on his face.

Mark continued, ignoring what Monkey just said, "I'd like you to step aside if that happens."

"I can't do that. Crane's a kung-fu master with more than fifteen years of experience!"

"Monkey, please. I need to," the human begged, showing an odd emotion.

"You won't stand a chance! You're not like Emily who awoke those chi powers..." The annoyed simian explained. The fact that someone like her, who didn't know anything about kung-fu, could use chi out of the blue, was unfair.

"I don't care..." Mark remarked with determination.

"What about your beliefs then? You could die, not that Crane would go that far, but...your survival thingy?" The ape hoped to change his mind once again by facing him with the truth until the human gave up.

"That's the reason why I have to. In my entire life I've never once felt alive. When I trained with Simon and he landed a hit on me, I discovered something new; something I had forgotten a long time ago..."

"How hard did Simon hit your head?" Monkey mocked, but deep down he saw something in Mark completely different. He changed so fast, yet he couldn't just…let him indirectly kill himself.

"This is not the time to be joking around..."

"I'm not joking. You're being reckless here! I understand your desire to change and I respect that, but-"

"I'm glad you wish to know more about yourself no matter the price. I'll be honored to support your choice, young warrior."

Shifu walked in, interrupting their conversation. He eavesdropped the entire thing, but the red panda didn't plan to interfere until he heard Mark's desire.

"Master are you sure about this? He could get himself hurt...or worse," The kung fu master pleaded hopelessly, trying to oppose a choice that wasn't going to be changed.

"We all have a path to walk to discover who we truly are. As I said to a certain panda in another occasion, 'you must set yourself to fail if you wish to grow as a person.'" The old master stated, portraying his wisdom again, "Please do if you think it is the right decision. I want you to pursue it until the end."

* * *

Po was running out of ideas. The feeling of being useless and totally unnecessary was something he had forgotten a long time ago when working with his adoptive father. He couldn't do anything but wait.

"Po. You look teary. Did something happen?" Tigress asked the panda who had just reached his favorite place.

Said panda, overwhelmed by his thoughts, walked towards the Sacred Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. It was the place he liked the most when upset because of the calm vibes which always helped him to gather new strength to stand up and persevere. He didn't notice Tigress though. She was there from the beginning, sitting on the edge of the cliff, staring at the gorgeous landscape. It wasn't just Po's favorite place after all.

"Oh...hey Tigress. Sorry I didn't see you," he replied, sitting next to her. "Things didn't go as I thought they would."

"You messed up, didn't you?"

"I-I didn't! I tried to help everyone out, but they all pushed me away..."

"I can't tell you if that was a bad choice or a good one unless you decide to tell me what happened..."

Po lowered his ears as his face saddened, remembering the tears, the words, their voices and their faces. He couldn't bring himself to talk. Tigress stood up, and the panda slightly turned his face to follow her movements. If she wanted to know, why was she leaving? The feline gently touched the tree. A peach fell off and she took it from the ground before returning and handing it to Po. "Here, this should help you."

Tigress' kind gesture made the Dragon Warrior blush. After the first bite, he slowly explained the situation or what he understood from it.

"And that's all. I failed again when I tried to get inside Simon's hut, where Fulvio hid, then I went here hoping to cool down a little..." Po sighed, swallowing the peach.

"This must be really hard for everyone. You did what you could. Now please don't push yourself and wait..."

"I can't stop thinking about it... I keep saying that if I was going to say something different maybe I could have-"

Tigress hushed him, placing her paw into his. "It's okay. I'm here and I'll try to help you, alright? Just like you helped me. We're friends after all."

Po slowly moved his head closer to her and broke down, embracing the feline happily.

"Thank you. You've always been here to help me and I never got the chance to say how glad I am to have you by my side."

"Actually...I am the one who owes you, Po," Tigress admitted, relaxing into the panda's hug, "You...truly are the best thing that's happened in my life."

"Tigress, there's something I've always wanted to say, but I never had the courage to do it."

The feline felt weird. Something hard struck her chest,causing her heart to skip a beat. Unsettled, she had to stand up. "Okay, what is it?"

Po glanced over at his distressed friend. "You okay? You don't look so good..."

"Yes, I think I'm fine. Maybe I meditated for too long..." She honestly replied, oblivious to the real reason.

"Do you need something to eat? Maybe you're just-"

"I wanna hear the thing," Tigress cut him off, eager to discover what he was going to say.

"Oh, yeah...that thing," the bear remarked with hesitation. He couldn't handle the weight of another failure, and Tigress' reaction caused him to doubt himself.

"I'm listening..."

"I...wasn't able to give Fulvio the action figure," Po avoided the question, changing the topic.

"I see," the feline replied, noticing his quick change.

"I guess we'll just wait and see how this thing evolves...right?"

"As I said, I'll think of something. Keep it with you for now." Tigress walked away leaving Po alone, "I'll come back when I have an idea."

* * *

The Pool of Sacred Tears was a place meant for people looking for an answer who needed guidance. Crane instinctively went there, not knowing a better place where he could be alone, to think about the event that had just transpired. The one who attacked Mark wasn't him, but a monster buried within that took advantage of his thoughts. He didn't understand the reason causing him to behave like that! Everyone had dark thoughts; those that shouldn't be touched and brought to life.

"There you are..." the crocodile greeted, looking at a stationary Crane on top of the mountain. "Um...it's an atmospheric place, I'll give you that," Simon commented, glancing around the new landscape having never been there before.

"Please, leave me alone. I'm seeking for an answer through meditation," the bird replied, staring down at him with a depressed expression.

Simon grinned, "It's been in front of you from the beginning. Are you blind or are you avoiding it on purpose?"

Crane turned away, "I don't know what you're talking about. I can't control myself and I don't know why."

"You should be smarter than that. You know what's going on. You can't keep your true feelings hidden inside."

Crane jumped down and landed right next to him. "I don't like this. I've been able to do it since I was studying Kung-Fu at Lee Da Academy. Why all of a sudden did I go crazy?" He vented, not being able to bottle things up anymore.

"Don't look for an answer you already know, Crane. Just go. He's waiting for you." The crocodile addressed, pointing his claw towards the palace.

Crane stared down. It was hard for him to accept the part of himself he suppressed for such a long time. He raised his wings and flew back to the palace. Simon didn't seem satisfied with the results he obtained. The feeling of Crane not actually acknowledging his dark side bothered him. He seemed more intent to accept it passively. Simon hurried back, curios to know the ending.

* * *

Emily sat on Mark's bed and explained what had happened so far. This time she broke down, tears streaming down her face, once she reached the end. Something she couldn't do before. What right did she have to cry? She was the reason why her friends were suffering right now!

"Hey, it's okay. I'll fix this. I can go and explain what you-" Viper tried to reassure her, but she shook her head while sobbing, so there was nothing she could do.

"You must understand! I thought that if he was going to hate me then it would have been less painful than making him despair later..." Emily sobbed, patting the snake's head with kindness.

"I see. This is such a weird turn of events..." Leo murmured, sitting next to her. "Here, take this and clean yourself." The lion pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over.

The girl reluctantly took it and blew everything out. Her eyes widened as soon as it touched her skin. The cloth was so soft and delicate. The fox stared at it, noticing it was handmade with a name sewed on the bottom left corner. "Leopold..."

The boy, shocked, looked at her, "What is it?" He totally forgot about the name on it.

"Is that your name? I thought it was Leonard..." Emily inquired.

For Viper it didn't really matter. Until now she thought Leo was his entire name, so she wasn't as surprised as the fox.

"Yeah...it is, but please, call me Leo." He blushed, while pushing away Emily's attempt to return the used handkerchief.

"You're right, I should wash it first."

"No," He stopped her, grabbing her arm, "You can do it later. You should rest and listen to me now..."

Emily laid on the bed again, while Leo went to pick a scroll out of his mess on the table cluttered with paper and ink.

"I was thinking about our situation for quite a while and I couldn't stop thinking that something was...off."

"We're in another world, surrounded by talking animals…"

From the first moment they arrived, everything was crazy and unnatural. Saying that something was off felt like their situation was actually normal.

"It's about how we ended up here," Leo explained, seeing her skeptic reaction.

"Can we even answer that?" Emily asked, thinking how pointless the discussion was.

"I'd like to do it. It can lead us one step closer to the truth."

"Fine. What did you discover?" She laid down on the bed, laying her head on the pillow.

"I believe you thought about it since your unfortunate incident and now I'm sure we didn't leave our world at all."

"Of course. I had the same idea. When we talked about how we arrived here and nobody was carrying a telephone, wasn't that weird?"

"What's a…telephone?" Viper questioned, slithering next to the fox.

"I already explained what a car is, and I don't even know if that will create problems. We shouldn't talk about things that don't exist in this world yet," Leo replied. "At first I thought this universe simply removed stuff that could have caused a problem, like a paradox or an error inside the timeline, but it wasn't right. It's a cumbersome reason that won't really work with the elements I have here."

"Listen, I'd like to keep this conversation going, but I'm not really in the mood for this…"

"I'm almost done, let me finish. I'll get straight to the point. You're not dead."

"You can't be sure of that."

"We can't be here unless we're alive inside our world as well."

"And why is that?!" Emily questioned, the anger in her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Because what has been brought here are our souls. Our bodies are still there, probably on the ground somewhere. Not really sure."

"There's no proof that can support such a crazy theory…"

"I'm wearing it right now," the boy said, pointing at his human clothes.

Emily instantly raised her head to look at him. "You...what? Don't tell me you're planning to remove them."

"UH?! NO!" Leo cried out, scared of what she thought, "These clothes shouldn't be on me. My latest memory before coming here was about doing some research before an exam and I wasn't wearing this."

"Maybe you're mistaken…"

"There has been an incident inside my house. A huge chandelier fell off and destroyed the main hall. I was wearing these clothes when it happened and… some glass hit me, ruining my favorite shirt. I had to throw it away since I couldn't go around with so many holes, yet look at me now. It's brand new."

"You could have-"

"Duplicates? No, this shirt is the only type I have. Want to know when it happened? One month before I got dragged here."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would it…"

"I don't know. There must be a reason… Maybe to leave us a clue?"

"If I'm alive I must be in some sort of coma. I can't be sure of what happened to me and I don't want to put his hopes high."

"You're carrying a weight not meant for one person. You sure about this?"

"I think I'll manage, now let me sleep for some days," she sarcastically commented.

"Wait! You need to eat!" Viper hissed with worry.

"...I think I'll pass," the fox slightly raised her paw, then let it fall down.

"We'll bring something here," Leo suggested.

"Thanks, Leopold."

"PLEASE DON'T CALL ME THAT," the boy yelled, embarrassed.

"Is something wrong? Don't you like your name?" the serpent looked at him, concerned.

"There's nothing to talk about, let's just drop it." The lion turned away and resumed his writings.

* * *

Crane reached the palace's entrance pretty fast while Simon was still on his way there. He saw Mark, but the bird also noticed Monkey right next to him and Master Shifu not so far from them. The situation made him hesitate and his landing wasn't a steady one, just like the crocodile thought. He didn't even know why he was doing it.

"What do you want? Why are you back?" Mark coldly asked, as if the palace was his territory and Crane wasn't welcomed there.

Monkey glanced towards the cheetah; he didn't like how that sounded.

"Listen, I want to talk."

"I don't have anything to say to you."

"Mark, please... Crane's trying to atone for what he did. You can't turn him down like that..." The simian said, supporting his old friend.

"Can't we put this whole thing behind?" Crane insisted.

"I'm not going to accept your apologies."

"What? Why?" Monkey asked, since the bird wasn't doing it.

"Don't you get it? He doesn't really mean it. Crane just wants to end this thing that's annoying him," the cheetah replied, upset.

"That's a lie! You don't know me! How can you say such things?" The bird stared at him, showing again his unstable emotions.

"Mark please don't push this thing any further, I'd like to avoid it..." the simian said, looking at how upset the bird was.

"No, Monkey. This is stupid. Am I forced to accept his apologies just because he asked for it? He doesn't even care about having them or not. What he really wants is Rebecca and I'm standing in his way." The boy struck a fighting pose, knowing what was going to happen.

"You...why? What makes you feel so special? Why were you the one who was chosen? I JUST WANTED SOMEONE TO NOT FEEL ALONE ANYMORE."

Crane literally jumped on him, driven by his rage. He wasn't even using kung-fu!

"Mark!" Monkey called out, looking at the two rolling around the place.

Mark used his tail to block the wings that were trying to suffocate him and grabbed his beak, freeing himself and throwing Crane away.

"You promised!" He replied, pointing his paw at him.

"Hey Monkey, what's going on? You look stressed." Mantis greeted, climbing on his shoulder, "I heard them screaming. Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yes! Why do you ask me? They are sparring! Can't you see?" The ape wasn't really good at lying under pressure as he pointed at the two warriors who clearly wanted to kill each other.

"Oh, I guess that's fine. I'm going to call Leo. He should watch it. He shut himself in from the very first moment his training ended," the bug explained, jumping down.

"No, no, no wait!" Monkey instantly declined, then moved his paw at him impulsively.

"What is it?" He asked, confused by that weird behavior.

Monkey, even if he wanted to, couldn't do anything to stop this thing and when he realized it a sigh escaped his mouth. "Nothing..." As soon as the bug disappeared inside Leo's hut, the simian turned back to them and crossed his arms. "Please be careful..."

The bird recovered from his impulsive attacks and started to fight again as a real kung-fu master should. It wasn't a good thing for the cheetah since Crane began to fly. Mark simply stared at the filthy animal using his special advantage.

" _Ka-Kaw!_ " He shouted from the sky, performing Wings of Justice.

Mark crossed his arms and used them as a shield to block it. It seemed like a good amount of wind, so there was nothing to be so afraid of. The draft hit and slightly slid him away. The cheetah admitted that, indeed, it hurt.

"Look at the birdie!" The human laughed, "Flapping his wings, throwing air at me. I'm okay, don't worry! I'm not feeling hot or anything."

Mark knew that his opponent was way stronger than him, plus he wasn't even able to reach him right now. Crane could have just stayed there in the air and abused his technique as a good way to torture him. He hoped to drag him back to the ground with some good old taunts.

"I'll show you…" said bird murmured, moving his wings even faster. He usually did two of them, but with Mark's taunting and the hate he felt for him, Crane repeated the attack relentlessly.

The cheetah's eyes widened as he jumped backwards as many times as needed as another attack came towards him, but as he struggled to dodge each attack, he realized that his plan would fail and he needed to find another way. When his body met one of the columns Shifu's words rang in his head; just like Crane, he had to use his own advantage.

Mark climbed the column and stopped only when he was high enough to reach Crane by jumping from there. The human was able to catch him, stopping the bird's momentum by grabbing him by his wings. They fell and the bird made sure he wasn't going to be the one crushed on the wall. The kung-fu master twisted his body, bringing Mark into his place. Luckily for him, the fall didn't do any damage, but put the cheetah into a bad position where Crane was able to punch him freely.

"Someone like you…who only thinks about himself. You don't deserve the things you got," the bird said, as soon as they landed.

"At least I always say what I think…" Mark coughed, his necklace glowing like it agreed.

The human, still holding on to his wings, gripped them harder, raised his legs and started kicking him. After a few hits the bird struggled free, throwing him away.

Mantis, Leo and Viper arrived to see the 'sparring match' while Simon leaned on a wall far away. The serpent, as soon as she saw them, slithered as fast as she could to get to them. She didn't like what was happening, nor the fact that nobody was interfering to stop them.

"What are you doing?!" She asked, upset, to the ape who stepped in her way.

"Mark wants to do it, please don't go," Monkey said to her, stretching his hand to not let her go further. His body and his words said no, but he sounded like he wanted to stop them.

"You don't understand… Crane won't be able to handle himself. This is going to be worse than it already is!" She remarked, trying to go past him. The things she and Rebecca discovered about the bite weren't lies.

"I know he's acting weird, but…we're talking about Crane. He's the one who controls himself the most; only Tigress is better than him at that." The simian obviously didn't believe her. Someone so quiet and introverted like him couldn't just go on a rampage all of a sudden.

Utter chaos of voices rang everywhere. Leo, Mantis, Viper and Monkey arguing to go through while Crane and Mark kept offending each other. Their voices reached Rebecca, who had shut herself inside her hut since she got back to the palace. She was still stuck inside her head with her thoughts, if they weren't so loud the swan wasn't going to notice them. The girl's eyes widened as she stood up and ran towards the window to check on the situation. Her eyes widened with surprise when she saw her friends fighting each other.

"Why are you all like this..?" She whispered, laying her head on the wall.

"MARK COULD GET HIMSELF KILLED!" Viper's voice reached her, "WE HAVE TO STOP CRANE. NOW!"

The swan gasped and instantly ran outside towards the two warriors. Monkey stopped her as well as Viper, who was paralyzed, looking at her. She didn't want to let her see this.

"Let me go through," the girl insisted, upset.

"I'm sorry I can-"

Everyone widened their eyes, shocked. Rebecca slapped Monkey without hesitation and stated, "What you're doing isn't being a good friend", then walked past him. The ape followed her with his eyes while cuddling his red cheek.

Crane kicked Mark against the column. It was now clear who was going to win the fight. The bird grabbed the human's neck with his left foot trying to strangle him. Rebecca flew there and pushed him away with her wings. Free from Crane's grasp, the cheetah slid and fell on to the ground.

"WHO DID TH-!" the bird yelled, out of his mind, until he saw Rebecca. Instantly, with wide eyes, he muted himself while the swan helped Mark out.

"I did it. Got anything to say?" She looked at him with a disgusted expression.

"Rebecca, listen…this is all a misunderstanding." Crane stood up and walked towards them.

"Don't come closer," she threatened.

Rebecca checked Mark and luckily there weren't any serious wounds, but there were scratches everywhere. If she hadn't stopped him, something bad would have happened for sure.

"You okay?"

He coughed again, "I'm fine. Why are you here? I said to not interfere…"

"I can't stand you guys," she said, helping him to get up, "This isn't a choice you can make on your own." Rebecca brought him to Mantis, Leo and Viper. "Please take care of him now and don't let him come anywhere close."

Crane flew towards them, trying to explain and clear himself of any blame, "Rebecca, I need to talk with you."

"I don't wanna hear anything from you now and forever," she said, spreading her wings, "You're not the person I thought you were. You're awful."

The bird went to catch her, causing her to break down, "STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

Rebecca soared into the sky and flew away, followed right after by Crane.


	22. Truth Chapter 2, P9

**This chapter has been republished to comunicate grammar mistakes have been fixed, thanks for understanding. Little reminder that on my DeviantArt you can find fanarts and drawings of my OCs, my name's on there is Matekok.**

* * *

The Jade Palace was built on one of the highest mountains overseeing the entire Valley of Peace. It was so close to the sky that clouds and fog surrounded it on all sides. That's how Rebecca rid of Crane, flying where nobody could follow her; however, just as the bird lost her, the swan was just as lost, not knowing where she was going or where she would end up.

She slowly landed on the ground, lowering her wings and looking around, but wasn't able to recognize the area. There was a little cave with a puddle of water inside of it. Upon closer inspection, she found a dragon statue above the water. Her mind figured that should have been a particular, somewhat special place.

"Rebecca? Is that you?" Tigress' voice reached her from behind. The feline was sitting on the edge of the mountain like she usually did at the Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, slightly turned towards her.

The swan wanted to be alone, to run away, even if it was just for a little while. Tigress' presence actually ruined the atmosphere that place gave her, but it was no use running away again. At least she didn't know about her situation nor what had happened so far. The feline invited her to come over.

"What brings you here to the Pool of Sacred Tears?" She asked, moving her right leg over her left.

"The Pool of Sacred Tears?" Rebecca repeated, oblivious of the place's name and meaning.

"Didn't they tell you about it?" Tigress questioned, realizing she just might have been lost, exploring the places around the palace.

The swan sat next to her, looked down and shook her head.

"This is the place where our Grand Master gave birth to what we know as kung-fu. It turned into a place where people can meditate and seek answers they can't find on their own", Tigress explained, glancing over the cloudy landscape with only a few visible mountains.

"A place to seek answers…" Rebecca repeated. "No wonder I went here…"

"Did something happen?" The feline asked, "I've been away for so long. I let my thoughts drive me far from my friends."

"Tigress…"

"Huh?" She turned towards her.

"Can you…promise me something?"

"Depends on the promise, but I think I should be able to do it."

"Don't make any decisions on your own. Please let the others always know what you're thinking and how you're feeling, even if that means making them suffer."

The kung-fu master's eyes widened upon hearing such a weird and unexpected request. "Did someone make a choice you didn't agree with?"

"Something like that," Rebecca agreed. "People are suffering more than they should because of those selfish actions…"

Tigress clearly sensed something was wrong, but it wasn't just her problem. Something had happened at the palace, yet she instantly blamed herself for not being there when everyone needed assistance.

"I should get going." The feline stood up, knowing that she needed some time alone to think. "You'll be okay on your own." she raised her right paw and pointed it to the west, "Follow my paw; go straight and you'll be back at the palace. Don't be scared by the clouds if you can't see, that is the right direction."

The swan nodded, "Thanks, Tigress. Please don't forget. We all have feelings, we just show them differently."

Still confused about the weird speech she had given her, the feline walked away, the desire to head back and discover the mess that had occurred increasing with each step taken.

On her way back, Crane flew right past Tigress to where the swan was. Seeing his twisted face full of pain and portraying his distress reminded the feline of what Rebecca's expression. Impulsively, she decided to hide behind a rock and spy on them from afar.

"You found me too fast…" the swan admitted, hearing him land behind her, "Am I asking for too much? I just wish to be alone."

"I can't let you go unless you hear me out. You're thinking of me as a bad person and I won't tolerate it," Crane insisted, walking closer.

"Selfish," Rebecca remarked, upset.

"...I'm sorry. Everything went wrong. I couldn't control my feelings towards you."

The girl turned to him, widening her eyes. "Me?"

Crane gulped, shivered and slowly pronounced the words that were going to change everything, "I fell in love with you."

The bird, right after saying them, felt reborn from the ashes like a phoenix. The biggest burden that was devouring his soul instantly disappeared. With the effects of the bite fading fast, his mind was finally cleaned of the doubts and anger. It now brought a new burden: the feeling of guilt, the realization of how terrible and awful his behavior had been the whole time.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" Crane chanted, falling on the ground as tears invaded his face, streaming down his beak before landing on the ground.

Rebecca was speechless. There was nothing she could have said in front of him. He humiliated himself like that in front of her, "It's not enough. This won't save you, even if your apology is sincere. What you did is…disappointing."

"I know…" The bird started to calm down, wiping his tears away. "I wasn't hoping for your forgiveness right away. I'll work hard. I'll show you. I'll rebuild what I destroyed, slowly, one step at a time."

"About the other thing you mentioned…" Rebecca began, looking away, "My heart belongs to someone else, but I think you already knew that."

Crane nodded, standing up again. "I…just had to tell you. It's okay. You don't have to love me back. You saw me as a friend and I saw you differently, besides…I don't even know what I was thinking," the bird giggled. "You're a human and live in another world. You won't stay here forever!"

Tigress, who saw the entire thing, was taken aback by their speech. "More than a friend…" she breathed out, turning away. She had listened for too long and learned something new. The feline headed back to the palace.

"REBECCA! HEY! WHAT'S WRONG?" Crane shouted, worried.

Tigress' eyes widened before instinctively running to him, forgetting that she wasn't supposed to show up, but his voice filled with fear and alarm changed her initial idea.

"CRANE! What's wron-" She stopped, seeing the unconscious swan wrapped within his wings.

"I-I don't know!" He mumbled back, "She was smiling when, suddenly, she fell on the ground."

The feline approached them and touched the swan's forehead. "It's hot…"

"I'll bring her to Mantis." The bird lowered himself, urging her to grab the human and let him carry them back to the palace.

Tigress agreed and nodded back at him.

* * *

The five gathered inside Rebecca's hut upon Tigress' request. She wasn't the only patient there. Mark was already being treated by Mantis. The cheetah opened his eyes just to see his friend on the opposite bed with Crane.

"What…did you do to her? Wasn't I enough?" He asked with a trembling voice.

The bird felt too ashamed to reply.

"It's not his fault. Rebecca just collapsed in front of him," Tigress intervened, crossing her arms.

"Leave."

"It's not up to you, Mark. I think you should know this by now," the feline replied.

"It's okay. I'll wait outside," Crane said, making his way through his friends. How could he not obey with the remorse so heavily weighing him down?

"Fine. I'll give you an update on their condition later on," Tigress reassured while the others couldn't find any words of comfort. They just stood there, following him with their eyes until the door closed behind him.

"It's just a fever guys. She's gonna be okay tomorrow," the bug stated, trying to cheer them all up. "Same thing for the other guy there." He raised his pincer at Mark, "He's got some bruises, but mostly he's just tired. Tomorrow they'll both be alright."

"That's not the problem…" Viper sighed, looking down.

Tigress glanced over at him, thinking there must have been something wrong. "Rebecca has fainted two times in a row when she should have had strengths. There's something wrong here, Mantis."

"I had my theories when she passed out the first time, but with this I can confirm that she caused them herself."

"What? Can you be more clear?" Monkey asked.

"Being over-stressed can make you weak when in reality, you aren't," Mantis explained.

"Does anyone know what's been troubling her lately?" Tigress turned around to look at her fellow companions, but nobody was able to answer.

"There's her diary though…" Monkey proposed, remembering what Shifu did.

"No! That's a terrible idea. You can't put your nose into someone else's business like that!" Viper hissed back at him.

"Not cool man..." the bug agreed, jumping down to the floor, "She should be the one to open up to us."

"Where's Po now?" Tigress asked, staring at them.

They exchanged glances with one another knowing they hadn't seen him all day.

"I see..." she concluded, figuring he should be where she left him before.

"Please wait a second!" The serpent called out to Tigress. "There's something everyone should know; it's about Crane."

Outside the hut, two humans were waiting with the bird who had just arrived. The first one laid against the little house's wall, knowing that they would tell him what he had missed so far. The other human that couldn't restrain himself from hearing about the situation pressed his face against the hut's window to listen to the kung-fu masters.

The bird, after a few minutes without saying a word, flapped his wings and flew high in the sky, heading nowhere.

"Where is he going?" Leo breathed out, glancing towards Simon without moving his head, "Shouldn't he stay here?"

"To do what?" the black crocodile replied, looking at Crane disappearing among the clouds, "I warned him and he failed. There's no point staying here where they can only judge you."

"I guess with Mark sharing Rebecca's hut, it'll be tricky to do anything now…"

"You can always ask to move Mark back in your room where he belongs."

"That could be also a problem."

"A problem?"

"Emily's occupying his bed and I'm not sure when she's gonna leave it."

"She's not hurt or anything, right? I'm not understanding then, but I'm guessing there must be more that I don't know," Simon said, letting out a sigh. "Then bring him into my room. Fulvio never used his place since we got here. I'll tolerate his presence for a while."

"There's another problem…"

"You're kidding me."

Leo simply thought that, after what had occurred between the two, he would have gotten more or less the same reaction, yet he wasn't entirely sure and just theorized it. "I'm sure he'll manage on his own."

"Humph." Simon crossed his arms and looked away, "I won't interfere then."

"There's no need to be worried," Tigress began, exiting the hut after overhearing their conversation. "Crane's smart. He just needs to get back on the path he lost."

"I'm not worried," the crocodile instantly rectified.

"Keep an eye on them. I'm leaving." The feline smiled at him and walked away.

"It should be the other way around…" the lion uselessly pointed out. "Well, I'm going to give a look inside. Wanna come?"

Simon moved away from the wall and headed back towards his hut. "I have other plans. Send over someone for me later."

Leo blinked, confused by the weird shift of decision he had. "Okay...sure."

* * *

"As I thought, you're still here," Tigress said to Po once she reached the Tree of Heavenly Wisdom; the place she had left the bear just a few hours ago.

The panda grinned at her. "I won't move until I find a way to bring my friends together again!" His enthusiasm suddenly went away, replaced by sadness as he stared down at the cloudy landscape that didn't allow anyone to see the bottom.

"Actually I have something mind, but I need your help." The feline lent her paw towards him, waiting for him to accept it.

"What do you need?"

"You're a teacher now, correct?" She continued, pushing her paw further, "So please teach me how you create your…action figures."

Po blushed as he took Tigress' paw and stood up. "O-Okay, I'll do my best."

* * *

While Tigress explained what she had in mind, Po prepared a table inside his dorm with the tools they were going to use.

The panda always had a messy room because everything worth keeping, every mission he completed, was connected to an item or souvenir, making his place stuffed with all kinds of things.

The bear pushed everything off the table to make some space and opened the only clean and tidy thing in the entire room, his drawer where he kept his tools, action figures (even the failures) and the elements to make new ones.

"Can I have a short version?" Po asked, placing two chairs near the table. "I was so focused on my preparations that I didn't-"

Tigress hushed him and pushed the panda onto the chair. "I'll tell you after we finish, okay?" She sat next to him and grabbed a knife.

"Who's gonna be the subject?" He enthusiastically inquired, imagining every possible outcome.

The feline reached behind Po's back, took the statue he made of Fulvio, and placed it on the table. "For another partner."

The bear quickly glanced several times from her to the action figure. "You mean... Emily?"

"I'll be blunt; I don't perfectly remember her. Do you?"

"Ah, that's fine. I've got more logs to work with if you make a mistake," he reassured her, pointing out the fact that he isn't perfect either.

Time passed by very fast as they worked together on the perfect replica of a human version of Emily. Every time Tigress made a mistake using the knife, Po placed his paw onto hers and moved it together, trying to teach her how to do it correctly. The panda had to sit on her chair and ask her to sit on him to teach as perfect as possible. The bear embraced the feline with his big arms as she let him move her arms around.

"I believe I now understand why you like this hobby so much…" She commented, putting the almost completed action figure next to the finished one.

"...It wasn't going to be as much fun as it normally would without you," Po admitted, turning red.

"Open your ears now, this is important. Another thing happened while you were busy, and you have to know."

Tigress stood up and moved away from him, needing to look him in the eyes while explaining the actual situation.

"Really?!" Po gaped upon hearing the matter she kept to herself.

"Yes," Tigress nodded. "If you want to do something, I won't stop you. Just let me know what it is."

"Can I trust you on the coloring?" The panda asked, pointing at the blank unfinished statue.

"You mean the doll? Yes, I can do it on my own."

The bear felt the urge to correct her, opening his mouth to say, "It's not a doll," but he ignored it in the end. "Forget it. Thanks." Po stood up and slid the door open.

"Po!" The feline called out, eager to know what he was planning.

"I do listen to you, Tigress. I won't do anything without you. I'm just going to buy some stuff for tonight. I have an idea for you this time." He smiled, turned away and ran outside.


	23. Bitter taste Chapter 2 End

Shifu stepped away, deciding not to interfere by any means. As master of the Jade Palace it's his duty to let his students grow and make their own choices, at least when it comes to personal matters. The red panda always believed in them from the very first moment; good choices can be helpful, but mistakes are what helped us to learn and develop. He knew that very well.

"Master…" A voice called from behind him. He was in the middle of one of his many meditation sessions Shifu used mostly to help him think. He was just like them in an aspect; questions, doubts and theories all swarmed within his head.

"What is it, Monkey? Come closer," he greeted, keeping his composure. Only his ears twitched as they captured the sounds.

Monkey, on the other hand, didn't have to worry about those things. Tigress, Po and even Viper did everything. He couldn't understand why, after listening and obeying their requests, felt like he had done something wrong? Mark wanted to fight and Shifu allowed it. He tried to argue somehow, but it didn't help. Rebecca's gesture and words touched him more than it should have. She didn't know anything. Monkey didn't just stand there and let things move on their own. He tried, yet an awful feeling tormented him, a feeling he wasn't able to shake off.

"I'd like to ask you something if I'm not disturbing your meditation…"

"Are you doubting your own choices?" The eldest one asked, knowing what was happening in his mind.

"I-I don't understand. You said it was okay for them to fight. I didn't agree, yet I let him do it. On the other hand, Rebecca and the others opposed so much that she-"

"Monkey," Shifu intervened, trying to calm his overwhelming thoughts, "We all are different. We have different opinions and choices, but what about you? Isn't it time to start letting them be heard?"

The simian's eyes widened, wanting to turn a blind eye from the truth he knew all too well, and instantly attempting to argue. "It'll be pointless!"

"Why do you feel bad then? Why are you here seeking answers? You listened to me as your master and I respect that. This doesn't mean you have to go against your own beliefs."

"It wasn't my choice!" The ape vehemently denied, raising his voice before lowering it, thinking it may have been disrespectful. "I simply obeyed..."

"That's right; that's what you did."

"Then why do I feel…regret?" Monkey asked, clenching his fists.

"Is it so hard to understand on your own?"

"If it wasn't I wouldn't have come here in the first place to ask!"

"If you're concerned about Mark's health, you have every right to step up and stop him. It wasn't a mission where you had to listen to everyone's opinion and obey. It was a personal matter that slipped out of our paws. It's time you start sharing your ideas with the others. You are very disciplined, Monkey. When it comes to being serious you're always reliable, even if I don't understand your humor."

"Master, I thank you for your kind words. I'm honored. I'll leave you to your meditation and think on my own now. You've showed me the way." Monkey bowed and left the temple, leaving behind a nostalgic sensei.

The speech reminded him of the times when Oogway, with his usual chillness, explained everything to him, putting his confused thoughts to sleep and lightening the path he lost in the darkness his mind brought upon him.

"I hope you're proud of me, Master."

* * *

Monkey wanted to head back into his dorm, but Shifu's words echoed in his mind. Something urged him to start right away, as if he could still do something to help fix this messed up situation. The kung fu master blinked, surprised upon realizing that his body unconsciously had brought him where the humans were resting. He peeked inside and saw only Viper. She was always the nicest one. She could stay there all day just to be sure about their safety. His mind went back-and-forth from Viper to Rebecca, and then to Mark before landing on Crane. They all needed to talk things out, but in this particular setting it would be impossible for them to freely communicate.

Monkey knocked on the door to lure Viper's attention. As the serpent turned her head towards the sound, the simian motioned her to come outside with his left hand.

"What do you need?" She asked, closing the door behind her.

"I'd like to move Mark into my room."

"For what reason? This is their hut, kinda…" Viper replied, thinking about Emily occupying the cheetah's real place.

"They shouldn't stay together while they're recovering…"

"Did Tigress say so?"

"No, I said so. Does it matter? Are you still worried about Crane's sudden rampage? Is that why you're so concerned?" He asked, slightly upset upon indirectly hearing the same truth Shifu had spoke of.

"Monkey, I told you. I'm not sure if the poison completely wore off. I'm just making sure everyone is safe. Things went out of control and-"

"I still want to believe in him and his goodwill. That's what I should have done from the start! I hesitated and let the others guide me too much. I'm sure that he will eventually talk with both of them and apologize. Both you and I know him. I also know that he won't be able to do it until they're together. He can barely face us, the people he stayed with for ten years now. I'm sure you wish to help everyone, and that's why you have to trust me."

Monkey's speech actually surprised her. He had never acted so courageous or reflective on his own; showing more confidence and trust in his teammates than even her! Viper felt ashamed. She completely forgot that she wasn't alone, that there are people she can always trust.

"I'm glad you said that. I was losing sight of what was important and of what they really needed." The serpent was carrying another weight her friend didn't know about. His trust and determination relieved her a little.

"I felt the same, trust me. This time it'll be completely different. They just need time." The ape slid the door open and walked inside.

"If you see Mantis, please tell him to come here and take my place. I don't think this is the place where I should be. It's not necessary anymore."

Viper slithered away as soon as Monkey nodded and the ape brought Mark away with the bed to avoid waking him up.

* * *

Leo's intuition was right.

When Simon headed back to his hut, on the right side of the room Fulvio was lying on the bed nobody ever used. The crocodile glanced over at him, walked towards his side and acted as usual, like the panda wasn't there at all and he was still alone.

"Who hurt your feelings this time?" The boy mockingly asked, sitting on the bed.

Fulvio was facing the wall and Simon couldn't see his face for a possible reaction. The panda was wrapped around his pillow and didn't say anything, but he changed his position very often. The crocodile was sure he was listening to what he had to say even if he didn't reply.

"You won't achieve anything doing that," Simon huffed, propping one leg over the other.

"Can you leave? It's too early to go to sleep and in a few hours you'll have dinner."

"Sorry to ruin your hopes, but this is my room," he sarcastically commented lying down on his bed and placing his arms behind his head. "If you really wish to be alone go somewhere else. Po's room should be empty now, right? I'm sure he isn't sleeping right now."

"I don't want to hear any name related to that matter. Let me sleep."

Simon guessed right. Fulvio's decision to leave his previous bedroom was connected to a quarrel with Po, but he didn't know more. His behavior didn't allow him to understand on his own. The panda's words seemed empty, like he just gave up on everything.

"I envy you."

"Hm?" The crocodile's head moved towards his voice, eager to hear more.

"You always look so strong, like nothing can touch you."

"You're wrong. I'm not strong. This is just how I want everyone to perceive me." Simon rose, placing his claw under his snout, "I can't really explain. Everything's messy in my head. I just…feel that my fighting abilities don't come from my mere pleasure to learn how to fight. I wanted everyone to be afraid of me like I was afraid of them." The reptile's eyes widened. The last phrase didn't come intentionally. Afraid of who? Why did he have to fight? What's missing in his memories?

Fulvio, eyes still wet, also stood up from his bed as well to face him. "That's awful. I can't imagine living without knowing who I am, what I did, or who my friends are. What if you were different and never knew? I don't want to think about it."

"It's pointless to ask those questions unless you wish to intentionally put yourself down. It doesn't matter. My conscious self may not remember, but my body and what's inside of me will always remember, therefore making you act like the real you. I'm not afraid of being without them. I'm more worried about what I'll remember when I finally get them back."

"...I'm hungry."

"Fine. I'll bring you something to eat even if you don't really deserve it. We already talked once. How can you make the same mistake twice? People never learn…" Simon grunted and walked away.

"I'm sorry for being such a nuisance…"

"I wonder what turned you like this. One day, I'd like to hear you out."

* * *

"This may take a few hours. We may never find the scroll we're looking for."

Leo, after Mantis explained what the serpent kept hidden from everyone, dragged the bug along and headed to the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu.

"Don't worry. I already checked half of this library. We won't take that much, plus I need to know more. You don't understand how interesting this is! A poison that doesn't kill you, but forces you to act without our mental restrains. That's amazing!" The scholar excitedly exclaimed, moving scroll after scroll away after giving them a quick glance.

Leo was on the opposite side of the room and stated that he had already checked half of it. Mantis, irritated, stopped his research. "Are you kidding me? When were you going to tell me that you already looked in the section I'm digging in?!"

The lion turned towards him, surprised. "Well, yeah. I think I read almost every scroll in that section, but who knows? I may have skipped something. That's why I wanted another guy looking into it beside me."

Mantis sighed and jumped on his shoulder. "I need a minute, otherwise you'll seriously make me go insane."

"Oh come on, don't be upset. You volunteered to help me out," Leo said, resuming his research.

"How can I not be upset? You should've told me sooner and not randomly mentioned it fifteen minutes later!"

Leo didn't reply and started to read the latest scroll he picked up. A satisfied grin appeared on his face. "Good news, my little friend. I have found the chosen one."

"No, wait. Don't read it now," Mantis said as soon as he saw the lion unrolling the scroll upon the shelf. "I'd like to get something to eat first. Let's read it in the kitchen's pantry, okay?"

The boy instantly agreed, noticing that the scroll was bigger than average. The table he was using was small, too. He needed something bigger to completely unroll the piece and entirely glance it over. "I was actually going to suggest finding a place with bigger furniture. I feel unlucky. I could have read about it way earlier and avoided everything, but this seems stuffed with valuable information."

"I won't exhort you to read every scroll in this room because I know you're thinking about it." Mantis deadpanned, staring at him while crossing his pincers.

The lion chuckled as he walked towards the kitchen's temple, "I guess that's something I can't control."

"...I will read everything though," he stated seriously.

* * *

Milk and ginger are uncommon ingredients. Thanks to the importance of Jade Palace, the Valley of Peace had the opportunity to trade with villages far outside of China. Po set his eyes on them to recreate a sweet dessert for his friends. Something that could help everyone get closer once again. What better solution is there than a very special recipe with ingredients from other regions?

The panda left a bowl full of milk on the fire, bringing it to a boil. In the meantime, he grinded the ginger and stirred it on another plate until it turned into some sort of chewy substance.

Po stared at the milk with a doubtful expression. The recipe didn't say how hot it must've been. Though he hated to waste stuff (especially if it was valuable), he needed to follow his guts and try anyway. He hoped to not mess it up.

"Po! Where have you been?!" Mantis shouted, landing next to plate of ginger on the table. "Do you have any idea what happened today?"

The panda's ears instantly raised. He was so focused on his recipe that Mantis' voice scared him, carelessly placing his paw on the container when he turned towards the bug. "HOT! HOT! HOT!" He chanted, placing his burned paw inside a water bottle Po brought along before.

Leo peeked inside the bowl to see what was he doing. "I'm not a chef, but…I believe that you should remove it, otherwise this milk is gonna be unusable."

The panda dried off his wet paw, wore a glove and moved it away from the fire. "I hope this is the right timing."

"What are you doing? Why are you using milk without asking permission? You know there aren't many cows in the village and we shouldn't waste it like that," Mantis complained, while Po mixed it with the ginger.

"Ginger too? Does anyone know about this?"

The bug's question didn't receive any answer from Po, who focused and was concerned on obtaining a positive result.

"Now that I think about it. I didn't know you could actually consume food that comes from other people," the lion hummed, curios to know their alimentary habits. "Do you guys eat everything? I thought you only consumed vegetables and fruits due to your will to pursue a peaceful live with every other species." Leo's always been eager to know every possible thing. Even if he was holding the scroll about Crane's poison, it was easy to switch from one topic to another if the discussion was worth listening to.

"In the past people used to eat everything...no joke. They wanted to eat people's flesh and thank god I wasn't alive in that period."

"Oh, I see. I wanted to ask about it, but…felt awkward. I did see you guys eating eggs for breakfast, I should've figured it out."

"I DID IT!" Po's scream broke their conversation, luring their attention to him. The two animals turned towards him and, when they got close enough to look at it, he moved away.

The bug stared at the cup filled with what looked like normal milk. "I…don't get it. What did you do?"

The lion walked closer to the cup as Po started to explain what it was, but he wasn't listening. He took the little spoon next to it and tapped it. As it touched the surface, the human noticed it wasn't liquid anymore. Its shape and reaction reminded him of pudding.

"Wait, it's too soon. Give it a moment to chill," Po exclaimed, worried that he might ruin an almost perfect work.

"How curious…" Leo commented while examining the dessert, surprised to see such a high level recipe nicely done with such rudimental equipment.

While the lion was distracted by the pudding the bug was arguing with Po about his careless choice to use them, "You know that Jade Palace has a reputation to defend. Masters from other palaces come in here often and we need them to make a good impression!"

"Oh, come on, Mantis. What we give them doesn't matter now that everyone needs something special to fix the holes in their hearts…" Po replied, trying to use some sort of metaphor to get through to him.

"Po, you're the only one who works that way." Mantis remarked, lowering his eyelids.

"I'm sure you'll love it, just give it a few minutes. Trust me I got this," the optimistic character insisted, then looked around to find something to buy some time, but inside there was nothing but food. "So, uh…what brings you here?"

The lion instantly reacted to that, remembering the scroll he shamelessly forgot when Po showed them his solid milk. "OH, RIGHT THE SCROLL."

"What's that?" The bear asked, watching him unroll the huge scroll upon the furniture.

"Just a little thing I'd like to read."

"That's not what I would call 'little'," the panda remarked, pointing at it with his finger.

Mantis jumped on his shoulder and laughed at him. "You don't know anything. For him this is little."

Leo couldn't resist and, instead of reading only the one that mattered, he took it slow, reading everything in order. Luckily for Mantis it wasn't a book, therefore he didn't need to scold the lion for his terrible habit. The bug kept unrolling the scroll until he found the poison that mostly resembled Crane's.

"It must be this one," he decided, pointing at the image of a weird grey fish with spikes.

"It's a stonefish," Po added, reading the name above the drawing.

"Leo…" Mantis said, bothered by his behavior.

"Did you know that the Many-banded krait is one of the most dangerous serpents?" The lion repeated, sharing both his new knowledge, and his happiness with them.

"Leo, could you please stay with us? You can read it later…"

"Okay, Okay. Just hear this thing. People extract his venom to make A TRUTH SERUM! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?"

"A TRUTH SERUM? THAT'S AWESOME I WANT ONE TO TRY IT! EVEN ON ME IF THAT'S OKAY. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE." Po shouted, squishing his cheeks.

"I KNOW, RIGHT? THIS SCROLL IS A MUST READ."

"GUYS!"

"Alright, alright. I'm coming. Where is it?" The lion replied, annoyed.

Mantis simply glared at them and pointed where the stonefish diagram was. Po came closer to the human and whispered into his ears, "He always does that. Ruins everything he doesn't like…"

Leo simply smiled, trying not to upset Mantis even more, "Let's see…"

The scroll accurately described that stonefishes usually dislike company, yet they can't live alone. That's why the cities' perimeters are always the best place where you could have met one.

Po and Leo couldn't confirm it. During that time they were at the palace. They turned towards Mantis to hear his version.

"Rebecca broke Crane's hat when we arrived. He went away to look for something to fix it. That's the only moment where he could have found that stonefish, but this doesn't really matter. We must read about the poison, not about their habits!"

The bug skipped a few pieces and pointed out where the scroll started to talk about the poison hidden inside his spikes. It's called Unchained Will. A person under the effects of this powerful thing loses the ability to act differently from what he really wishes to be. The venom wears off on its own after a few days or when he confesses the thought he considers secret; the one nobody should ever know about.

"Oh…that's sick," Mantis groaned, imagining how it felt like, "And it's Crane we're talking about…"

"Look at the bright side: the effects are gone. He confessed," the bear reminded them, rolling the scroll back together.

"Well…technically we were hoping to discover the opposite," Leo sighed, "If what Crane did wasn't the result of his thoughts we could have fixed the situation easier and faster, but what happened was totally possible because he really thought those things…"

"Don't worry. There's my dessert. It will fix everything and our bond will grow even stronger than before!" Po proudly commented as he checked upon the now set ginger milk curd.

"Don't make me repeat twice, Po," Mantis muttered, completely distrusting his choice.

Leo used his telekinesis to move the cup towards him and, while the bug blabbered about the same things, he picked up the spoon and tasted a small pieces. His eyes widened as soon as the gummy milk touched his tongue.

"Take Tigress for example. Will you ever help her out using food? You perfectly know that she's-"

The lion walked between them, handing over the pudding to his friend, "Try it."

Po couldn't resist the fantastic smell that thing emanated, snatching the spoon from Leo's paw and taking a bite.

"I can't believe it! This is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted!"

The lion followed the bear's action and did the same. He wanted to savor it perfectly! "The milk perfectly blends with the ginger making a perfect, yet simple, combination. Such a delightful experience."

"This is even better than what I expected… Wow! Take this away from me or I could literally go crazy," the panda proudly commented after another test taste.

"Okay, give me that." Mantis snatched the spoon and cup from them. "As if some boiled milk could actually-" His antenna instantly straightened when he tasted the content. "How is this possible? You just mixed ginger and milk together and you obtained something extraordinary, tasty, and delicious…"

"It's the juice inside the ginger," the panda explained.

"Oh, yeah. I read somewhere that inside the ginger there's an element that works as some sort of glue." Leo remembered, hearing Po's words.

"I'd be surprised the day you won't know something…" Mantis sarcastically commented.

* * *

Night fell upon the palace, even if it felt way darker than it usually was. When negative feelings and remorse had control over people's heart, everything was black. Crane soon realized he was the one who caused this; the one who generated these shadows that are now eating away at everyone's mind, himself included.

"Time always goes slower when we're in a bad situation…" He sighed, commenting out loud as he stared at the moon in the sky.

The bird didn't really flee with a destination in mind. He simply ran off and landed on the first mountain he found, so long as he was alone. Crane returned a few hours later when he understood what he deserved. What everyone deserved.

"..." He held his breath, scared to meet Mark. He wasn't in the best mindset to deal with him, yet he had to see Rebecca. Being in the same room was actually the biggest obstacle he had to overcome. The bird peeked through the window and surprisingly there was nobody inside; not even the cheetah. It was weird and unexpected, but he just needed a few minutes, nothing more.

"Hey, how are you?" Crane asked her, as she was awake and able to reply to him. "I hope you're doing better now. I will never forgive myself if something happens to you, that's why I want to do what's best for you and for everyone…"

The bird raised his hat with his leg, grabbed it and lowered it. "I'm a threat. Being here will put everyone in danger. That's why I decided to leave."

He smiled as he caressed her with his wing. "Here, I want to give you something to remember me by. You deserve to wear this straw hat more than me."

The swan's closed eyes trembled when Crane placed his hat upon her head. The bird instantly pulled his wing back, surprised by her sudden reaction.

"No…" She whispered, collecting the energy she got from those hours of rest. "Don't…"

The bird looked down, ashamed. Rebecca wasn't even able to talk, yet she pushed herself to do so. Her snout slightly shook as she tried to remark with her head.

"Goodbye, Rebecca." The bird turned back, slid the door open and headed outside until a weird blue light, coming from the swan forced him to look behind.

The swan was now standing, heavily panting. The stone just healed her, not completely, but enough to stand. "This is not the right decision. You can't leave."

"I'm sorry that now I'll earn more disapproval from you, but I can't act differently…"

Rebecca grabbed his wing and pulled him back, even if that costed her a lot of energy. Crane easily struggled free, but inadvertently threw her on the ground.

The bird wanted to help her stand up, to put her back to sleep, but in that moment, where she was clearly pushing herself out of her own limits, trying so hard to get up once again, that's when he understood he had to leave. If he was going to help her out Rebecca wouldn't let him go anymore.

"Take care," Crane said, as he headed outside and flew away.

"Crane…" She breathed out, failing to stand. Her face raised towards the sky, watching him disappear into the night. "No… I don't want to carry more mistakes… I don't…" Rebecca passed out onto the floor, exhausted by the rush of feelings.

* * *

Dinner never felt so different since Po's arrival. They used to happily chat together, to tell stories and to laugh about someone's daily activities and fails. That night, as the kung fu master and the human gathered, an utter silence ruled over them and nobody dared to say something that might have worsened the situation. They simply ate their food and avoided any eye contact, planning to leave as soon as possible.

"Wait, don't leave!" Po shouted, worried that they wouldn't even give him the chance to release his special weapon.

"We really shouldn't stay together for now, besides I have to bring dinner to the humans who couldn't be here tonight with us," Viper stated, pushing to leave.

"What is it? If you have something to say or do, just make it quick," the crocodile demanded, already standing up from his seat.

"Since we all had a rough day, I thought it could have been great to prepare something special to cheer us up," Po explained, bringing in a platter with several cups of ginger milk crud placed on it.

"That's really sweet, Po, but I barely ate the noodles. I'm not really in the mood for food…" The serpent replied, shaking her head.

"I understand how you feel, but trust me. This is legitimately good! Even one taste will make me satisfied!" The panda insisted, sliding the cup right next to her, then to everyone.

"Okay, I'll do it, but let me bring something to them first. That's the only thing I'm asking you." The kung fu master wrapped around some food and slithered outside the temple.

"I'll go help her. We have another thing going on," Tigress pointed out at something hidden inside her clothes.

"Oh, nice! I'm glad you finished it," Po replied, recognizing the things she had inside her vest.

"What are you two talking about?" Monkey asked, already eating the pudding. "This is really good by the way. Can't believe you were able to cook something like this!"

"N-Nothing!" The panda shook his paws in denial, but his awkward laugh made everyone more suspicious.

The ape enjoyed the dessert so much that everyone straight up ignored Po's weird reaction and tried the pudding to understand if he was actually telling the truth or just pretending it to lift everyone's spirits.

"What's inside this thing?" Simon curiously asked, sniffing the thing, "I can't smell anything but milk…"

The atmosphere slowly lightened up. Positive reactions, smiles and compliments helped to smooth the frozen situation they were in. They quickly turned back to their common selves and that dinner was now the usual one they had every night, until bad news broke the atmosphere creating something worse than before.

"Crane's gone…" Viper said, slithering back inside the dining hall.

"We know that, remember when he flew away after picking up Mark and Rebecca?" Monkey argued, not understand what she really meant and why she was even more upset than before.

"No, he's gone for good this time. That's what Rebecca said…"

Everyone's eyes widened. Some of them directly ran towards the hut as if they could still stop something that had already happened. Some of them went to Viper and asked for more info. Monkey instead froze in place. He had the feeling that this happened because of him, because he allowed them to talk, even if Viper didn't confirm it.

"You can't be serious, I mean, it must be some sort of misunderstanding. He will eventually return. We know Crane, he wouldn't make such an impulsive choice, right?" Po intervened, looking at her.

"...I don't know what to think anymore."

 _Legend of the Otherworld - **Chapter 2 End**_


	24. Scam Chapter 3, P1

Hello everyone! How's it going? Did you miss me? Truly sorry for my lack of work, still here though! This is the final draft, corrected and edited.

* * *

 _Legend of the Otherworld - Chapter 3 - **Scam**_

"Five hundred years ago, our ancestors discovered that their world is just a small fraction of the universe. They hypothesized the existence of countless planets filled with unknown life forms and, as time passed by, said theory developed into what we know today. We may leave this planet and explore what's outside, but our life is short and we're powerless compared to the immensity of this world. Our life span isn't long enough to discover our universe, so let's not talk about other universes divided by the void." 

Shifu's words echoed within the room, breaking the silence that usually filled most of his meditation sessions. The quiet and relaxed atmosphere created by the red panda is now the only place without pressure.

"That's why I'm here. I was so focused on finding some sort of clue to help us proceed towards our objective that I completely overlooked something so simple, yet so essential! How did they know about this? Yes you can think that there are infinite universes and dimensions out there, but we know for sure that they never had the chance to get outside their own world. So how did they know?" The animal inquired, crossing his arms.

"They ended up breaking the void, resulting in what you humans are trying to fix now. Isn't this enough proof for you?" The red panda softly objected.

"Your grandmaster left you a message specifically mentioning us, yet he shouldn't have known about our specie in the first place," he opposed, narrowing his eyes.

Shifu, with eyes closed and legs crossed, seemingly absorbed in meditation, now unfroze eyeing the other warily. "I was afraid this was going to happen sooner or later…"

"You were still hiding something after all." The animal sat down, caressing his mane.

"Can you blame me for doing so? Six human have been thrown inside a reality that's not theirs, fused with an identical soul, and forced to fight for the sake of every dimension. In addition to this, they aren't even adults! I know it was a mistake on my part, but I was trying to help you all. I wanted to slow things down and let you live with what you have discovered so far."

"I'm worried that we will never be ready to face what will come in the future. We're not just going to 'close a portal', are we?"

"If I tell you that you'll most likely have to face the new ruler of the void, would you be satisfied? You're a clever guy, Leo, and I understand how you feel, but right now you must trust me, your partner and your friends. We will guide you through this mess. You will never be alone."

The lion took a deep breath and sighed, as if trying to digest the hit. "Is there something else you wanted to talk to me about?"

"The God's Eye is an orb created by the ancestors; a powerful artifact lost to us when the heroes vanished. Legends say that it allowed whoever stared into it to see the unknown."

"This explains how they knew about us…"

"I want you to limit your activity as an animal as much as possible. Also, hide the chi stone. It's not safe to carry it around your neck. A simple glance at you is all one needs to understand which hero you are."

"...who's coming?"

"I had an omen last night. Everyone knows. I told my students to warn you all."

"Then why did you-"

"I wanted to speak to you personally because you're most likely to be their target. The creation of ancient weapons has always been a lion's job."

* * *

Leo closed the door behind him and slowly walked back to his room. His mind a mass of utter confusion, so much that his reaction was really lethargic and passive. Any sound or movement was processed, but simply didn't phase him. He sat down, pulled out his chi stone and brought it closer to his face. He isn't scared for himself, but for the others with this awful responsibility weighing heavily upon them. For once, he longed for a moment of peace, to close his eyes and rest. The lion kept toying with the green lion-shaped jewel, the source of his so called destiny was right inside his paw and he couldn't have done anything with it.

"Hey, I found what you were looking fo-"

Mantis, unaware of what was going on, slid the door open and walked in carrying a small scroll, probably written by himself. However, when his eyes met Leo's, he instantly realized something seemed off.

"What's wrong? Are you also depressed now?" He jokingly asked, jumping onto his shoulder.

"I'm more discouraged than depressed," the human sighed, switching back to his original form.

"Oh, I see. You went to meet Shifu," Mantis inferred, understanding the motive behind his sudden shapeshifting.

"It hurts…" the human breathed out, placing his hand on his forehead. The aches in his brain due to the constant switching.

"I told you not to always use your animal form. You should always shapeshift back to human before going to sle-if only you would…" The bug scolded, upset, as he turned around.

"If my body wasn't so weak compared to the other one..." Leo pulled out his glasses from his left pocket and put them on. "Is hiding really the answer right now?"

"Well…it's been two weeks since Crane left and we still have no clue where he is. Fulvio and Emily don't even look at each other, even when Tigress and Po achieved pushing them out of their beds. Rebecca and Mark are showing the same behavior after their recovery, and he got mad at Monkey, accusing him of betrayal."

"Is that how you cheer up people?" The boy nagged, raising an eyebrow. "I live here. I think I know what's going on."

"Someone had to give a short version though. I don't want you to forget anything."

"Shifu said something weird when I left. I'm sure you can clear my doubts about my species. What do lions do in this world? Where are they? Why don't we still see them? It's been almost a month and, except for Mark and Emily, we saw at least another animal of the same kind."

The little bug moved from his shoulder to the shelf. "I don't wanna lie to you, but I'm also not looking forward to this conversation." Worried, he raised his head and stared deeply into his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I deserve to own anything that is related to my person. Please share with me everything you have," Leo kindly insisted, showing some sort of determination.

"Lions have always been the wisest and the smartest among everyone else. In history, at least one lion has been involved with everything we have ever created. They use to work in the shadows. We know for sure that every important event in history has been caused, guided or manipulated by one of them, but it's easy to fool villagers and…"

"You're basically saying that other animals take the blame for their actions."

"That's right. You can't touch them. We have no proof, nor any idea where they are. Some rumours say that their knowledge is... ahead of time."

"Is there a reason behind their behavior?"

"We've been told that lions care only about themselves and their people. If you meet one that means you can be useful to them somehow. They're not killers, which is why we try to simply live with it."

"Do people hate them?"

"I honestly didn't think they even knew what a lion looked like until you arrived. The info we have comes from Master Shifu. When we were younger he used to teach us not only Kung-Fu, but also the history of China and its secrets."

"I read plenty of scrolls. Why didn't I-" The human cut himself off as the truth struck him down like a missile. "Of course! Shifu knew everything all along! He rid of everything that could've helped me discover the truth quicker than I should've."

"That's something I didn't know either."

"We didn't make our presence known though. I wonder how…"

"True. You guys didn't make a scene, but people have seen you running around the village. You helped them and fought back against some bad guys. That kind of news runs pretty fast across the country."

Leo felt unsatisfied with what he obtained so far. So many holes still haven't been filled. Furthermore, his comrades weren't in the best condition. Their morals were declining steadily. The question raised first among all his thoughts was obvious.

"Can we really do this?" The human repeated once more.

Mantis looked at him, both knowing the answer he was going to get, but the bug didn't say a single word because words weren't going to help him. He needed proof; something concrete that would show Leo the truth he couldn't accept.

"Pushing all the problems aside, you all developed good skills and learn very fast. You have to acknowledge that in one month you guys managed to obtain complete control over your animal forms, learned a decent level of Kung-Fu and almost reached basic chi training."

"Yet the only thing we did was fight off some bandits that tried to steal goods around the valley. Our first fight with Fenghuang was almost a disaster and from what I heard, in Seawe they just… talked things through. It wasn't even the real thing."

"Innocent people died, Rebecca got kidnapped and the entire city risked their lives to reach a point of no return within a war, but yes sure it was nothing. They just 'talked through' things."

The human's eyes flashed with the guilt. "I apologize. I acknowledge my error in judgement; I will rephrase that better."

Mantis rolled his eyes instead, shaking off his mistake and poor word choice to quickly move his attention towards the door. Someone had knocked twice, yet he didn't focus on it until his friend gave him some sort of 'forgiveness' through an annoyed nod.

"Y-Yes! You may come inside", Leo mumbled as his attention abruptly switched to the thing Mantis wanted him to focus on.

Simon, still in his crocodile form, walked inside, forming a predictable question from the human.

"Shouldn't you turn back to your original form?" Leo probed, glancing over to the bug to obtain some sort of support. "Didn't they tell you what's going on?"

The crocodile stretched his right claw further and opened it wide. "Hand me your chi stone," he commanded. 

Leo instinctively put his left hand on the pocket that contained the jewel. "What is the meaning of this? What are you scheming?" 

Simon used his left claw to show them five chi stones all connected together with a tiny cord. "Yours is the only one missing." 

Mantis' eyes widened at the sight of the humans' stones. "Do...they know you have them?" 

"I won't help unless you explain," the human asserted. 

"Don't ruin the surprise," Simon commented mildly annoyed, "I wanted to steal all of them, but you're considered an important target right now, that's why I had to ask you in person." 

"I can't believe you just said something like that straight to my face." The bug antennas flickered as he showed no intention of cooperating to keep this play going further. 

"Stealing isn't your thing. Did Mark have a role in this?" Leo questioned, putting out his stone. 

"It's a meaningless question. You know the answer, so why try to force it out..?" He shook his head disappointed. 

Numerous theories bounced in the human's mind while he stepped up and gave Simon his stone. He could have been an impostor looking for the real thing when we started to hide our other selves, but it was a farfetched idea, plus his answers were something only he could have said. The decision of one individual gathering every stone is dangerous, but at the same time it will be the safest option available. "I don't know the details or your objective, but it's safe to assume that I can trust you, so I'll play along for the time being."

"What?! I won't stay here, looking at him while he spreads panic and chaos among us. We've been enough shocked these days," Mantis quickly opposed when his partner consented. 

Simon's expression swiftly changed as he glanced over to the bug. "Do not interfere. I won't let you destroy the new hope I'll build." 

Leo's eyes widened and his body trembled. The crocodile unleashed a terrifying aura alongside a threatening stare. It wasn't even meant for the human, but it affected him anyway. It was overwhelming. His eyes cut deep inside his body, as if someone had stabbed Leo with a spear. The true aura of a killer. 

"Nice try. It's surprising how fast you learned it," the bug nonchalantly commented, not showing any particular reaction to his attack. 

"Please Mantis. I'd like you to reconsider. Whatever he's plotting has to be useful somehow," Leo begged, placing his hands together in a praying position. 

"It's okay, I'll just tell Tigress that Mantis refused to go along with her plan..." The black reptile said, turning away. 

"What... Tigress? I need to know more. This isn't her-" 

"GUYS! GUYS! PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP ME! IT'S A TRAGEDY! SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENED!" 

Mark voice rang out loud within the entire palace. His tone was extremely upset, scared and distressed. Mantis couldn't finish his phrase before the human's screams captured their attention. 

"I'm really sorry Mantis," Simon sighed, implying the opposite, "I have to go, things are starting to move as they should." He shapeshifted back into human, added Leo's stone to his collection and shoved them inside his black jacket. "I'm sure you'll be a nice guy and play along." 

Leo rose from his bed and grinned as he lent his hand to Mantis. "You shouldn't be worried. It's Simon. He always wants people to lecture him. Perhaps he's not used to directly communicate his feelings."

The bug huffed, accepting the human's help. "I suppose things can't get any worse than what they are now. I'm sure he lied about Tigress. She would never allow such a harsh course of action."

"Let us go and seek the answer. That's what he wants after all," the boy proposed, walking outside his hut. Simon had already disappeared, but Mark's shouts were still playing in the background. He moved towards the source, carrying his small friend on his shoulder.

* * *

Simon has always been hard to lecture unless he purposely wanted someone to understand. His mind was swarming in blackness. They've been living in the Jade Palace for a month now and he didn't recollect any kind of memory or clue that could have led to something important. He felt like he was used to it, or rather he felt prepared. If someone was going to wake up in an unknown world without any memories of their past, they would have surely freaked out and gone crazy, but he didn't. He wondered if the fact that he has access to Tigress' subconscious actually helps him trust her easily and quicker than it should have. 

"Mark?!" Rebecca's hut door slammed wide open, the human rushed outside with the utmost concern for someone she cared about. 

Simon was standing in front of the door when it happened, barely managing to hide behind the corner. "I'm pathetic. I was so close to being spotted," he muttered to himself, moving inside her room. 

"I can easily steal her stone right after we finish our dinner, but if you want the scroll you have to get your hands dirty and take it yourself." Mark's voice played in his mind while looking thoroughly among her stuff.

The human grinned thinking about how gullible the girl was. He hated to stick his nose into her businesses, but the situation, instead of reaching a conclusion, turned worse and she secluded herself inside. Simon searched under the bed, listening to the thief's advice. His hand grazed something small and round. He crouched down further to firmly grasp it, moving the scroll closer towards him. 

His eyes showed annoyance. The scroll he found wasn't the right one, but the human decided to open it anyway, following his careful personality. 

Simon's dropped open slightly out of surprise when another scroll fell out of the unrolled one. Compared to the first one, the second one were completely different. The one which contained the other was ruined. The paper had been touched and moved several times, some zones slightly ripped. It clearly appeared as something people read and used many times. The other scroll was absolutely brand new. Nobody opened it, owner included. That was the item he was looking for.

He stood from the floor and sat on the bed with the two scrolls. He found the messages Rebecca and the whale exchanged since Seawe, but another element was still missing. The human moved towards the pillow and stuffed his hand inside, finding countless pieces of paper were tied together. They looked like a scroll, but in the end were scattered pages of a diary she wrote the moment she started living in the Jade Palace.

"That's…interesting", he murmured as he continued searching through her private stuff.

His apparent couldn't-care-less attitude faded away when he learned the truth behind her actions and his interest sparkled in his eyes as he got became immersed by the content of those old pages. 

"MARK, WHAT'S WRONG?!" Rebecca's shout woke him up from the slumber, driving him outside her hut.

Simon gathered everything together and hurried outside, ready to start his own game. 

...It was just a big, annoying buzz. That's what it was. Everyone slowly collected around the black skinned human, laying on the ground. A theatrical effect; an idea Simon didn't approve of. It was working though, and that's what mattered.

"Oh no! Someone stole my stone! How could this ever happen? I won't be able to fight! Is there anything worse than this?" The boy cried out, as he moved his arms to hide his fake emotions.

"What's his problem?" Simon cut in with his usual cold bitterness.

The group split into two allowing the main characters of this… tragedy to show in his sight. Rebecca was holding him tight, willing to cheer him up. Their quarrel became instantly meaningless. An important event such as this one was able to bring people closer again. Words still needed to be used, but that step became a certainty. In the end, Simon had the very same questions, doubts and worries Leo exposed to Mantis.

The human couldn't completely turn around and tell them. Even a direct stare could be a suspicious move. Instead, he shared a glance with Leo trying to convey the truth about this situation; however, whether or not he realized it wasn't important right now. He had to keep going because it wasn't over yet.

"Someone stole his stone!" Rebecca repeated, upset.

"In the end the thief gets robbed," Simon taunted. "Such an ironic turn of events." He shrugged with a hopeless expression, emphasizing the absurdity of the situation. One of the objectives is to make them understand that something was off. It was a necessary step to move things in the right direction.

"It sure is strange," Viper agreed. "We should check his room thoroughly and see if the stone dropped somewhere."

"No," Tigress opposed, raising her paw to stop eventual volunteers for the search. "He didn't lose a toy. We're talking about someone who's really precise and careful about the things he owns and…steals." The feline glared at him, showing her disagreement with his behavior; a behavior she barely accepted. "If there's an enemy, we must stay together and keep the humans safe."

The first one to catch a glimpse of this trap set up by Simon was Emily, who instantly realized the weirdness of this story. She couldn't hold herself back from narrowing her eyes while listening to Mark obviously lie to them, but everything was still a big mystery and she refused to speak up until she was able to explain what was going on.

Leo quietly played along as the first source dragged into the discussion. He didn't know if he had to mention, like Mark, his mysterious stone's disappearance, but he figured it must have been a thing for later. Mantis crossed his scythes, rolled his eyes and stayed silent.

Rebecca, Viper and Po easily fell for the terrible story Mark conceived; too focused on giving moral support to even question the authenticity of his claims.

Monkey, Tigress and Fulvio remained impartial and were positioned in between. Fulvio and Monkey mostly for what happened between their friends, making them feel too awkward to step in and do something.

"Oh no…" Fulvio's words trembled with fear and utter panic, everyone turned towards him upon hearing such a terrorized voice. "I don't have my stone either!"

This time the atmosphere was different. As the human desperately searched for the jewel within his clothes he had a way more realistic reaction, feeling like his life was over just before it could resume.

"This is bad…" Emily continued, bringing forth more bad news. "Mine's gone as well."

One after another they all checked and looked for their own stone, but nobody except one was able to find theirs.

"That makes me the only human who still owns his proper stone," Simon confidently stated, showing off his from his pocket.

"What are we going to do now?!" Rebecca desperately cried out. "We don't even know who took them!"

"It's impossible…" Fulvio breathed out, shaking. "I had it this morning in my pocket, so how?! Nobody came closer to me or stuffed their hands inside my pants!"

"I'm so confused. I thought it was-"

Tigress quickly stared at Viper. She shook her head, telling the snake to keep the information to herself.

"We're an easy target outside," the tiger asserted, "Let's discuss this matter further in a closed space. The Hall of Training will do."

* * *

"Everyone please calm down. I'm sure there's a solution," Po attempted to reassure everyone, but mostly to the emotional ones.

"I actually don't know if there is one this time…" Monkey relented as he couldn't think of anything useful.

"DON'T SAY THAT! WE'RE TRYING TO HOLD THEIR MORALES UP!" Viper scolded, raising her voice.

"Why steal only the stones? Do they have some way to make them work without their partner?" Tigress questioned out loud, hoping to receive information to proceed further. "There are some things still unclear, but one thing is sure: they have no reason to leave one behind. They'll come to get the last. We shall wait here and catch the culprit in the act."

"Basically, you'd like to use Simon as a bait…" the panda summarized.

"Yes, that's correct. It may be a time consuming activity since we have no idea when this mysterious enemy will strike, so I'm opened to suggestions on how we should make time move faster."

"What about Shifu? He's meditating inside his room," Po added.

"He wouldn't be able to help us anyway. Warning him is more likely a risk than an advantage," Leo cut in, thinking that Simon's game could be ruined by his interference.

After giving up the idea of calling Master Shifu, time froze. It felt like nothing was moving. Seconds were minutes and minutes were hours. It was torture with everyone forced inside a small area. They weren't even comfortable enough to enjoy time together! The embarrassment of past events didn't allow them to stay strong and the group slowly fell apart. They all moved into different corners trying as much as possible to avoid any contact with the source of their respective problem.

"I wonder…" Leo murmured to Mantis, "What he is trying to accomplish?"

The human looked around. The ones that should have made up positioned themselves as far as possible from one another. Simon clearly aimed to reunite everyone, but only obtained both Rebecca and Mark getting closer again via lying. Once the truth is discovered, every outcome would be deleted.

"I'm one step closer to leaving," the bug muttered.

"I wish I could look into your mind right now," he said analyzing his unreadable attitude.

Time's moving, unstopping towards the fateful moment, but it wasn't clear anymore. The training hall has been cleaned from any possible noise except for their breathing, showing at least that they were alive. As much as Tigress loved tranquillity and peace, this wasn't the right moment to do so, especially if they weren't doing it on purpose.

"Po," the feline called, walking towards him.

"Uh?" The panda reluctantly replied, lost in thought. "Yes?"

"It's been awhile since we've sparred. I need a good warm up. Help me out."

Tigress didn't wait for his approval to go through with it, lowering her body and striking a fighting pose. Po wasn't expecting it and his mind was elsewhere completely.

"Tigress, I-"

"I'll be your sparring partner," Simon stepped between them, shape-shifting back to his crocodile form.

"Okay then, but be aware that this time it's real training. I won't hold myself back like before."

"That's what I wanted from the start!" He shouted, thinking back to that night.

The reptile slightly moved his head around and looked at the panda, then to Fulvio and back again. Basically telling him to go to Fulvio and try to fix their mess now that there's some distraction and nobody listening to them...unless they scream.

* * *

The human was sitting in the left corner of the room between the column and the wall. It was a comfortable spot if you were elastic enough to drag your legs close to your body. It was also the best hiding place. You see everything, but nobody sees you unless they're purposely looking for you.

"Simon's really good… Look at those moves. He's natural, like born with it," the panda commented out loud, laying on the same column next to Fulvio.

"Awkward…" the boy sighed as he cradled his face into his body.

"What?" Po asked, not sure of what he said.

"Can't we skip the part where you try to start a conversation? The sooner the better…"

Po smiled as he turned towards him. "Are you still mad at me?"

"No…" He shyly reassured.

"HE'S ALL BOOHOO BECAUSE HIS CRUSH LITERALLY CRUSHED HIM!" Simon shouted at him, accidentally overhearing their conversation since Tigress's attack sent him there.

"NO!" He cried back, even if it wasn't convincing with the red face he sported. "THAT'S NOT IT EITHER!"

"Focus on me, Simon." Tigress jumped among the humans and kicked the crocodile back into the center of the room.

"I feel bad because I can't control myself. Everything gets so emotional... I hurt you, I hurt Emily and I hurt myself as well," he explained, albeit glancing away.

"True," Po agreed. "I won't lie. Your words cut deep, but I know you didn't mean it. You were just doing what you always do when you're afraid. You push everyone away, even if it means losing them."

"I'm mad at myself. I didn't learn anything. I'm making the same mistake over and over. I feel ashamed and embarrassed. I can't even look at you, and before, I couldn't talk to you either."

"I made a promise, remember? No matter how hard it is I'll still insist."

Fulvio instantly turned towards him and stared into his bright green eyes. The new found strength came out, not from the human, not from Po's words either, but from that memory, that promise he made for him alone. It was something he completely forgot.

"I wish I could change."

"No, you don't need to change. You just need to accept yourself. And trust me, when you do, your flaws will turn into power that will make you stronger." The panda smiled, "I know that very well."

"That's pretty deep, Po. I'm impressed."

"Emily?!" Fulvio was so focused on his friend that he didn't notice her coming closer. She stood right in front of them. Both her presence and her comment were so unexpected that he quickly hid behind the panda, blushing.

"May I sit down?" She kindly asked, waiting for his response.

Fulvio felt his heart beating faster and the words came out sloppy, "Yeah, no problem"

The girl quickly read the situation and sat down next to Po, allowing him to breathe.

"I can leave if you want so you guys can-"

"What's the point? You will eavesdrop anyway like last time. Might as well stay here," she nonchalantly countered. For her, his presence in both situations didn't matter at all.

"Sorry about that," Po apologized, fiddling with his paws.

"Fulvio, in the end we are the same. I pushed you and everyone away because I wanted to follow my own ideas. I knew I was gonna hurt no matter what my choice would be. I wanted to be the only one to suffer."

"What is that supposed to mean? I'm even more confused..."

"I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to do anything I did two weeks ago, but I had no choice."

"...What's wrong? You're moving around the truth, but you're not saying it. Don't you trust me enough to tell me?"

"I do trust you, which is why you have to trust me as well."

The human portrayed a worried expression instead of a painful one. A problem has been fixed with another problem, the situation seemed less critical, yet nowhere near the end.

"Hey..." she called, grabbing his hand. "I will be always here for you though, as friends."

Fulvio intensively blushed as she did. "YES, YES! OKAY!"

Emily smiled as he blurted out his agreement. The girl dropped his hand and hid her emotions from his sight. "Now we should focusing on resolving this mystery..."

"Mystery?" The boy repeated, unsure of what she was thinking.

The girl stood up, rapidly cleaned off her clothes as she shook off the dust and then nonchalantly walked in the middle in room, stopping right in between the two fighters in training.

"Don't you see we're fighting here? Step away," Simon snarled, annoyed.

"Oh, don't worry. You can keep training with Tigress after you hand us back what you took."

Emily's phrase destroyed every background noise, the entire room falling silent like before as eyes concentrated on them.

"Excuse me?" He answered as if she were crazy.

"I think you're the only one who could've organized such a weird plan. There must be way more on the line if you're being forced to take such drastic action. So? Who is it? What did you know? Time to spit it out."

The crocodile became sullen while he remained silent, but it was a pointless action. "It's too early…" He breathed out, slightly angered. "You should have waited a little more…"

In that moment, something hit the closed door from the outside. "Simon… what did you do?!"

The reptile didn't reply. He simply handed her over the fox stone. Tigress went to open the door just to find an arrow stuck into the wood, there was a message wrapped around it.

"Whatever you were planning it worked. Now would you be so kind as to tell us everything from the beginning?" The feline asked in a manner that sounded more like a threat.

"My plan just perfectly combined with his, but I suppose I have to speak up now."


	25. Your wish Chapter 3, P2

It was a feeling he already experienced countless times, yet his heart wasn't trembling anymore. His eyes were filled with the purest serenity and peace. That's what inner peace is all about: the ability to be as lucid as possible, even if fear, worry, remorse and pain are attacking his heart right at this moment as he's sipping his favorite tea.

He clearly remembered the last time this happened. When Tai Lung broke out of prison and Grand Master Oogway passed away. His heart filled with despair, and his soul was shaken down to the core.

"Today is such a beautiful day. I wouldn't mind taking a walk around the village with you and my students," Shifu said, taking another sip. "Unfortunately, my dear students are having a rough time and wouldn't be able to enjoy such activity."

"Is this your way to prepare yourself mentally before facing a difficult conversation?" The crocodile inquired.

The red panda showed a grin as he lowered the cup on to the table. "I do mean it. I wish we could do it one of these days, but I don't think it's going to happen…"

"I don't know what you're thinking, but let me tell you something. Don't try to be a hero. Nobody wants to see another sacrifice, okay?"

"So word has come down that you're planning to do something as well. I noticed Mark stealing Rebecca's stone yesterday right after dinner. He's talented; I almost didn't notice due to his speed with the old trick of bumping into each other."

"Are you gonna share your secrets with me as well or will I be the only one to talk?"

"I'd rather not tell you right away. You will eventually discover the truth by yourself. Who am I to ruin your fun?"

"You've got a good point there. I didn't want to ruin my entertainment, but curiosity was biting my tail back there."

They kept staring at each other, neither willing to move until Simon dropped five stones, including his own, on the ground.

"We will pretend that there's a new enemy coming and that they have already stolen five stones. I'll be the one holding all of them. More or less, I have fifteen minutes before Mark starts his act and I need to get Leo's stone with his own consent."

"I honestly wonder what is hidden among your forgotten memories. You're always one step ahead."

"While everyone held tight to their depression, I kept training. Tigress taught me how to meditate. That's when I discovered that you can actually develop some sort of premonition when danger grows closer…"

"You have to gather everyone into one room for as long as you can. This is my request."

"Such an odd and specific request. It will make my plan more obvious, but I guess I can do."

"This is all I had to tell you then…" Shifu inhaled as he picked up the cup again. "I wish you good luck with your plan."

"And I wish I could be the one to kill you instead!" He quickly stood up, shoved the stones inside the pocket and headed for the door.

"You should show your true feelings instead of hiding them behind evil words. Someone may misunderstand your kindness for wickedness, and I know you're not like that," he wisely advised as Simon disappeared outside.

The red panda sipped his tea once more, emptying the cup and slid the door that Simon left open out of fake spite, closed.

"There are no accidents," Shifu said aloud with yet another peaceful smile.

Utter silence filled the room again. This time he wished for another student to come through the door and tell him anything. The topic didn't matter. What's important was to have someone next to him. The red panda moved towards the candles lighted across the room and, one-by-one, blew them all out as slow as possible. For a second, his mind flashed to Oogway. He was doing the same thing. Was that…his way of waiting? He had no choice but to let things happen. Was he troubled like Shifu was at that time?

Oogway seemed like an unbreakable kung-fu master that never showed hesitation and always did the right thing; however, now all of a sudden, Shifu realized how similar they were.

Mark's cries for help reached his ears. They twitched several times as they registered how loud it was and from where they were coming.

"Please allow me to apologize. I didn't notice you walking in. I was…lost in thought," Shifu greeted out loud, as if someone were there to listen to him.

"I'd like to talk to you. I don't mind where and when, but at least give me a chance to change your mind first."

Shifu sat down on the floor and closed his eyes, appearing weak and fragile as if to lure someone close. The red panda didn't move at all, yet his ears automatically twitched when the sound of footsteps approached him. That was the last thing he heard before falling unconscious.

* * *

A gentle breeze caressed his face as Shifu awakened from his slumber. It was a delicate, yet fragrant smell that wafted within his nose. He slowly opened his eyes, returning to reality after the instant knockout. The red panda scratched his eyes when he noticed that the area around him was nothing but blackness, thinking he may still be a bit dizzy from the blow. He kept looking around, continuously blinking to clear his vision, but everything remained black except for the white chair he was sitting in and the white table. It was then that the red panda realized that it wasn't his eyes that were the problem, but the room itself.

A lioness carrying the scent from before appeared from the darkness. "Good morning Shifu," she hummed as the feline sat down in front of him.

She was dressed extremely fancy and elegant, with a black, two-piece oriental dress adorned with white swirled designs. Her dark black pants perfectly matched her eccentric style. Contrary to her formal appearance, cold green eyes focused upon him with the intensity of a predator eyeing their prey.

The old master stayed silent while the animal laid the platter on the table. There were two cups and some weird looking containers.

"In case you were wondering, everything I brought here is imported from England. That's why this style is making you feel unsettled. I wanted a special setup for our meeting."

The lioness prepared the tea, opening the containers showing Shifu biscuits and sugar. "Please go ahead. This is gonna be an interesting change of our usual traditions."

"I'm not here to be a tourist with you," he replied. "We have an important matter to discuss."

"True, but you could at least try it…" She looked down, hiding her disappointment. "It's rude to refuse and it's a dishonor towards you as my guest."

"I don't trust you. I have no proof that you haven't contaminated the tea in order to manipulate me."

"Always wary of your enemies, huh? I knew you would say that."

She removed the black glove she was wearing, then the animal showed it to him. Two Chinese symbols, 真相, converging truth were printed on her paw.

"That's a manipulative curse…" He breathed out as his eyes widened.

"As you can see I'm under this power. Now that you know, the curse has been activated."

The symbol written on her palm started to shine with a soft light, confirming what the lioness just said.

"Who's the author behind it?" He asked.

"I'm not allowed to share such information, but I can say that we have a good variety of chi fighters among us." She cleared her throat and gestured for him to take his cup.

Shifu rolled his eyes and passively accepted the cup. "Let's get this over with…"

"Grandmaster Shifu, rightful owner of the Jade Palace and successor of Oogway, I am very pleased to meet with you today. I am Lanfen Zhu, leader of the lions and the closest descendant of Ming Zhu, the wielder of the purple goblet and mentor of wisdom. I'm also very ashamed of how our first meeting transpired. I didn't want to appear rude or violent, but someone's watching us and we needed to appear as enemies."

"We are," Shifu remarked, sipping his tea.

"We just have a different approach and it's perfectly fine, but now we don't have time for this. Everyone's lives are at stake and our survival is our main priority."

"Is this the reason behind this black sphere? Are you sure we're safe in here?"

"Based on what the heroes left behind the observers were able to spy on us thanks to their special chi reading ability. In order to counter that we created an area filled with chi, impossible to scan."

"This is quite the effort. How many people are holding this thing?"

"It's a pointless question. Everyone here is able to work with chi, which means we have all the time we want even if technically we don't."

"I have everything under control. The humans are progressing just fine and they will fulfill their role."

"I've been checking upon them from the moment they arrived, Shifu. They have yet to discover their true chi, their goblets nor their power hidden between themselves. They are behind, just like your students."

"In order to obtain that you need to master the highest level of Kung-Fu, achieve peace and-"

"People are born with it. There's no such a thing as preconditions. Our emotions, our hearts and our qualities give us the energy to achieve these forbidden abilities she handed over to us five hundred years ago."

"They're kids! Can you even imagine how shocked they were when they arrived? I was surprised they adapted so fast. There is a terrible burden upon their shoulders! I couldn't just… smash them with all the truth at once."

"Souls of the ancient heroes are sleeping within them. That's why they didn't overreact as they should have, but this isn't the thing we should care about now."

The lioness swiftly cleared the empty cups from the table to make some space for a scroll that opened to reveal a map of China with weird, red crosses almost everywhere.

"What…is this?" Shifu asked, oblivious of the meaning behind it.

"While you all were chilling and taking it slow we worked to understand where the void will most likely crack."

"There are lots of signs in this map, so it may break everywhere. It's not gonna be easy to predict the right place."

"It's not gonna break only one. Every area I signed will most likely generate a bridge to the void."

"...Are you kidding me?"

"Now you understand why I decided to curse myself. Terrible truth, isn't it?"

"I have to warn the council!" He blurted out, "Maybe if we all cooperate together we can-"

"That's not going to work since there is no time left. In addition to limited time, the masters aren't strong enough. Remember Kai? How a beginner chi warrior almost annihilated a country all by himself? At that time I was actually wondering if I had to go against the Crimson Pact we stipulated with the emperor to stop him. Luckily the Dragon Warrior was able to defeat him."

The red panda was speechless. His entire plan fell right before his eyes and he didn't even bother to persuade her. If everything she said until now was true, then the humans and his students would never stand a chance to begin with.

"Are you willing to cooperate with me or not?" She insisted.

Shifu stared at the table, looking over the map again with a distressed expression. "I was ready to finally start serious training: to teach everyone how to obtain the next level of chi."

"If I offer you the time you seek will you be available to lend me your assistance?"

"What can you do to slow it down?"

"I need the God's Eye. I'm sure you knew that from the start, that's why you warned the purple goblet and asked for help from the green one. Clever plan, nothing to say. I would never jump in such a crowded space, nor could I wait any longer upon confirming that the portals are most likely to open soon. We weren't able to come up with a specific time; perhaps today, perhaps tomorrow."

"The God's Eye got destroyed when they fought back the old observers."

"Yes, this is also what we have known so far, but I smell a lie. I'm certain it is still around, hidden somewhere. It probably turned unstable after his fusion with the Harmonious Staff."

"Even if that was the case we have no clue of its current location."

"We will ask the one who hid them before leaving his mortal body."

"The humans didn't carry any memory of their past self."

"In fact I'm going to ask to Ming Zhu himself. He'll tell me where it is and I'll use to it to protect us."

"I have no idea how that is even possible, but if your actions hurt Leo in the process you won't get my consent."

"No, what I have in mind will not bring any physical or mental harm to him. Even if we will work on his stone they're not bounded together, that's why they don't carry memories of the past. I wonder if Ming Zhu actually planned this from the start…"

Shifu slowly stood up from his chair and silently walked towards her. He knew what must be done. He didn't like it at all, but better to have them as allies than enemies.

* * *

Simon seemed completely neutral as he told them about his meeting with Shifu, the plan and the weird attitude their master expressed. His expression was so cryptic; he didn't let anything show. Po wasn't able to confirm if he knew more than what he explained, if he was enjoying what was happening, or if he was genuinely oblivious about Shifu's actions.

"Did Shifu try to face this enemy...alone?" The panda asked, stepping closer.

"Why would he? That is a careless decision. Maybe he was planning something else." Viper slithered around the reptile.

Po watched in silence as Tigress opened the Training Hall's door. As they stepped outside, said silence was broken as the sound of metal piercing wood echoed within the hall. A bit disgruntled, the pair scoured for the source of the noise and found a message attached to an arrow. The panda reached around her to read the content as well, but when he touched the scroll the feline let it go, leaving it hanging in Po's paw to run away on all fours.

"It's useless," the crocodile asserted, knowing where she was going and what she wanted to check. "He's gone."

"What do you mean? What happened to him?" Rebecca questioned, shivering.

The reptile moved his snout, pointing at the piece of paper in Po's paw. The panda stared outside, following his best friend with his eyes. He turned back to them feeling their stares bore into him. "Oh…yeah! Of course. Let me read."

"Hostage… Shifu… exchange…" Po whispered, his face rising from behind the message.

"What's wrong Po? Let me see…" Monkey asked, opening his hand wide to receive the paper from him.

"Don't do anything without us!" He replied, passing the message to his friend. "I-I need to follow Tigress."

"Hey, wait! What's going on?" The ape shouted louder as Po ran away like Tigress. "Is this thing cursed or something? They both left upon reading it…"

* * *

When he first met her, Po was blinded by her appearance. She seemed cold, strong and impenetrable. Tigress always had been his hero, someone he looked up to. Time passed by and he discovered how his idol was just like him, a person. Someone with feelings, problems, and a past hard to deal with. It was funny and weird how two people that come from opposite backstories actually shared lots of similar experiences.

"You okay?" Po asked, peeking inside Shifu's empty room.

The feline was standing right in the middle, staring down at the floor, frozen.

"I'm fine," she coldly replied, hiding her feelings.

If the one she replied to was a stranger, they probably would have believed her; however, the one waiting behind Tigress was Po.

"No you're not!" He instantly opposed with a smirk.

"I can't let my feelings get the best of me."

"Why? You're mad because they took Shifu. Show it. Tell me how bad you feel. There's nothing wrong with-"

"I don't need it. I said I'm fine."

"You came here to check on him knowing what happened. I also feel bad for him. That's why we'll get him back!"

"You read what they asked, right? There's no way Shifu would allow us to exchange his life for Ming's, and neither would I!"

"We must discuss this together. I'm sure we can find another way…" Po walked inside, stopped behind her and placed both paws on her shoulders.

Tigress did the same, moving only the right one upon his paw. "Yes, you're right. I can't make the same mistake I did with Tai Lung."

"Let's go back. Shifu's waiting to be saved. I'm sure he'll find something stupid to complain about like 'you made your way in through the door when you should've used stealth, Dragon Warrior! Did you forget that you need to train!?'" He tried to mimic his voice to give a better comic effect, but failed miserably.

A sly smile appeared on her face as she dragged him outside. "You know that he acts like that because he cares."

"I know, but sometimes he could be more open about it! Am I right? It wouldn't hurt us."

"I suppose that is my fault. I've never opposed to how he trained me, the five, or you. I simply accepted it, no matter how painful."

"Yeah… I know the feeling. Your hands and your body may not feel the same, but what's inside will always be fragile."

"In the past I didn't want to accept that. I respect how easy-going you accept it." Tigress punched the ground as hard as possible, leaving a clear sign of her fist.

"Huh?! What was that all about?! I thought you weren't mad anymore."

"Wrong. I do feel better, but it will never ease this burning sensation I have inside unless I punch the guy who kidnapped Shifu. Or Simon."

"Didn't he get enough of those with sparring?"

"Maybe… I'll think about it. For now, let's get back to the others. They may be getting worried about us…"

While walking back to the group Po's mind flashed back to what had just developed among them; how he touched her shoulders out of instinct and she replied doing the same. His face instantly flushed red. He tried to fix it by lightly pinching his cheeks to make him focus on something else.

"Po…? What's wrong?" Tigress asked, turning back to him and seeing the panda doing weird things with his face.

"…AH, I'm just scratching my eyes!" A guilty laugh of someone caught in the act followed his lie as he quickly moved his paws to cover his eyes.

The first thing the two noticed when they inside the Training Hall was the atmosphere itself. "What's happening in here?" Tigress inquired, lessening the stressful situation.

"We're trying to change Leo's mind..." Viper hesitantly slithered towards her.

The feline's eyes instantly widened because that could only mean one thing.

"I'll accept their request and give myself up..." The human confirmed. He held the stone tight in his right hand and shapeshifted back into lion form.

"I can't let you do that," Mantis opposed, "Why do you think Shifu got kidnapped in the first place? They want YOU, but you were protected! They were planning to kidnap the first one they laid their sights on and use it as means to reach you. He used Simon's plan to help us all and you're willing to throw everything away?"

"Mantis said it. I also agree that we shouldn't accept the offering." Monkey nodded in agreement.

Once more, Po placed his paw on Tigress' shoulder as she lowered her head. Just the thought of abandoning Shifu caused so much pain in her chest it was almost unbearable.

"Can't we...pretend?" Po proposed.

Everyone looked toward him.

"Well...we're missing some elements about our enemies which is why I didn't propose to sneak where they are and get him back. On the other hand, if we pretend to give up Leo and secretly follow them to their base, we'll know where they are and plan a sneak attack."

"THAT is very smart, Po," the crocodile commented with a grin. "You surprised me there because that's also what I wanted to propose."

"A stealth mission, huh? That's where I shine," Emily said, switching to her fox form.

"I have some suggestions you guys may like!" The panda added with no small amount of pride.

"I know what you're doing Po," Tigress intervened. "Just because you had a good idea it doesn't mean I will allow you to take part in this kind of mission. They are not for you."

"Oh come on... Really?"

Tigress smiled, regaining previously lost determination. "Our enemy is not dumb. This is nothing like before. They probably planned everything thoroughly and may be able to read and counter our plan. That's why we need bait alongside the real one."

"Well...we could create two plans that could achieve the same objective. If they discover one they will probably lower their guard, but perhaps that is a risky decision," the lion explained, looking outside.

"You mean the citizens?" The feline questioned.

"We could evacuate them to the closest city to avoid any possible bad twist involving them." Viper moved next to Leo. "But we must do it as fast as possible. In the message they wrote they'll come back soon..."

"I think we all agree with this part of the plan. We will discuss the matter further after we conclude this section of the plan." Tigress turned around and pointed at Mark. "I need your help this time. We're running one member short and you're a cheetah. You're faster than Mantis, correct? Crane usually deals with the south side of the village that is also the most distant one. Can you do it? You don't need to fight for anybody. You just have to warn them and tell them to leave."

"Sure, no problem. It's gonna be easy work." The black skinned human replied cracking his hands.

"Viper your area is next to his. Stay close just in case..." Tigress added.

The feline, followed by Mantis, Monkey and Viper left and ran towards the city. The others, perplexed, looked at each other because, except for Mark, they didn't say anything else about distributing the city amongst one another.

"Are they used to evacuating the city?" Leo asked, a bit reluctant to hear the answer.

"Yeah... We had to do it a few times so they remember which side of the city they have to warn first. I also have to leave, but before that I wanted to tell you all that you're not forced to fight with us. I know that some of you have your reasons to refuse and I respect that; we all do. That's why I wanted to point out that we don't mind whatever your decision is, and to not blame yourself if you feel like you shouldn't step away from this. Okay? I want you all to be safe. That's our top priority, just like our villagers."

Po showed a big, cheerful smile as he kicked away all the sadness left in the room. "Now if you guys will excuse me, I have to warn my fathers. My biological father mostly since this is the first time and I'd like to not have him freak out."

* * *

Po went down the Thousand Steps as fast as a panda could, resting on his knees to catch a short break when he couldn't keep up anymore. His mind thought about running on all fours like Tigress, but he guessed that needs way more stamina than he has at the moment and it's something he should start training for first. He reached Ping's restaurant after his fourth break.

"Dads!" Po yelled as he didn't see them outside.

The door opened wide and the goose stepped outside. "Hello Po, why are you screaming?"

"Dad, where is dad?" The panda impatiently asked.

"Oh... Yesterday he stayed up all night to do some stuff. He refused to tell me saying that it's important, but he wanted to say it when you were here as well," Ping muttered, crossing his wings.

"You have to wake him up, it's urgent! You have to evacuate!"

"Evacuate? Again? What's the problem this time?!" The goose was more annoyed than worried.

"It's...human stuff. I don't really have time to explain." The panda scratched his head, having trouble finding the right words.

"Alright I'll go pack some stuff. I guess it's gonna be those usual two days they always tell us, right? Please go wake up Li Shan for me. He's sleeping in your room."

Po was overwhelmed by a nostalgic rush of emotion when he stepped into his room. Its been awhile since he returned. Everything was still the same as he left it. Li Shan probably asked lots of question about Po's likings, toys and about his son's childhood. He was probably sad, thinking about all the good times he could have had with his Little Lotus and couldn't because of an unfair destiny.

"Hey Dad..." The panda delicately shook his father's body. "Wake up..."

"Ugh... Little Lotus? Is that you?" He greeted, groaning.

"Yes, it's me. Please wake up. You have to leave and move to the closest city."

"Uh? What do you mean? What's going on?"

"I'll tell you when you get down, okay? Please hurry! I'll be waiting outside." Po gave a look around again and then headed outside.

The panda sat at one of the tables and waited. He didn't want to leave until his fathers were safe. He was able to catch glimpses of all the citizens carrying stuff and wagons around. They were all walking outside of the city and the five were doing a perfect job as usual. Po didn't like not being there to help them out, but this was his priority he had to fulfil first and foremost. His friends understand him, it was just a bit irritating.

"Okay, I've packed everything I need and also prepared the noodle cart. I'm sure the villagers will be hungry and I can get more money," Ping stated, dragging two bags and the cart next to his son.

"So…you're saying it's a normal thing, right? Shouldn't we be worried or something?" Li tilted his head, close to freaking out at any moment.

"Trust me, it's just like we met after a long time. I do this everyday! Evacuating the city to make sure everyone's safe is also another common thing," Po reassured.

"Okay, I'll try to not think about it, but I won't promise that I won't be worried. These things are getting to be way too common for a city named Valley of Peace," the older panda joked sadly.

"I need to regroup with my friends now. Please dad, bring dad to the usual place."

"Sure, don't worry. I'll keep him busy making noodle soups," Ping proclaimed.

Li Shan chased after him. "Wait Po! There's something I must tell you!"

"What is it? I really need to go, so please say it fast."

"I told your friend, the human that can turn into a panda, that my village was sending someone here soon."

"Oh no. Are you sure they're coming here? Out of all the times, now?!"

"I'm afraid they are. Please look out for her since this…weird thing is happening," Li Shan concluded.

"Let's go Li. We must start cooking," Ping exclaimed, already preparing noodles from the chart with the older panda, leaving Po behind.

The panda hastened his pace again, looking for The Five this time. Something weird and inconvenient has appeared and it had to be dealt with as soon as possible.


	26. Fresh blood Chapter 3, P3

He's never been in such a hurry before. He wanted to make sure everything they planned so far was going to work which meant helping Tigress, saving Shifu, and protecting the humans from whatever their enemies may throw at them.

"Excuse me! Yes, so sorry! I'm passing through!" Po mumbled as he tried to make his way through a huge wave of villagers.

Walking against the current made everything way harder than it should've been! The panda never realized how many people lived in that small village until now.

"Aaah! I'm really sorry. Are you okay?" Po asked, freaking out after tripping over a small kid.

"I knocked over the Dragon Warrior!" The little bunny replied with a laugh while the bear lifted him up.

"Yeah… Sure! You got me." He played along, sending the cub towards his family with a gentle push.

Po stopped, looking around for an alternative route. He didn't want to hurt anyone in the process of reaching the south side of the village, and with all the citizens moving in the opposite direction, it felt like this wouldn't end anytime soon!

"AAAH I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!" He complained aloud, his paws opened wide towards the sky, but no one cared or listened because everything was extremely noisy due to the evacuation.

Po inched to the closest wall and climbed it slowly. From the rooftop things turned out easier; jumping towards the next roof helped to avoid all of that traffic on the main road.

The bear pushed past his limits, therefore decreasing the number of breaks he needed to have in order to achieve his main goal. Whoever was coming needed to be protected and escorted to the Jade Palace until the situation blew over.

"VIPER!" Po screamed, cupping paws over his mouth, "HEY!"

He stretched his body from the edge of the rooftop he was standing on, waiting. When the serpent slithered towards the source of the voice he jumped down, landing right in front of her.

"Yes, just like the last time. Two days as usual. If the time changes we will send someone to warn you all…" The snake, wary of Po's presence, was finishing to explain to an old pig the common procedure.

Upon trying to explain the situation to her, he suddenly felt drained. He had pushed himself for too long without taking a break, and now didn't have enough energy to talk properly! "Viper… Listen… It's important…"

"First of all, you need to breathe. Yeah…just like that. Take it easy, recover, and then tell me what's wrong," she advised, slithering towards him with worry.

"Someone from my village is coming…"

"Are you sure? How do you know?"

"That's the thing! I'm not sure and I don't even know if it's gonna be now, later or tomorrow!"

Viper thought about it, trying to provide an answer only for the sound of whining children growing louder and louder, as if they were moving towards them, steering both kung fu masters away from the conversation.

"Hey Viper, could you help me out? You guys didn't tell me which way to go…" the cheetah said, holding four small cubs under his armpits.

"MARK, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! DROP THEM!" The serpent ordered, upset.

"Huh? Weren't we supposed to carry them there?" Mark questioned, cocking his head while the cubs, on the verge of tears, made distressed cries.

"JUST LET THEM GO!" The snake smacked him with her tail, setting the small animals free.

"I'm so confused…" The human sighed, scratching his head, "Did I do something wrong?" Just as he posed the question, the kids ran behind Master Viper, looking for cover against him. "I guess I was…"

"Please stop crying now. You all are safe. Master Viper will help return you to your families safe and sound." Her reassuring motherly voice quickly calmed them down. The serpent slithered and shaped her body to create bumps before placing the cubs upon her. "We should talk a bit about manners, Mark." With a glare directed at him, she lead the way.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, but his question didn't receive any answers as she slithered past him. Mark figured he had to follow her otherwise something worse then what Crane did could happened to him.

Po, still confused by the scene that had just transpired in front of him, shouted again, "What about the guy coming here?"

"Just stay at the southern entrance and wait. I'll tell the others what's going on. Don't worry!" She replied, glancing back for a hot second before facing forward.

The bear leaned against the wall, sliding down until he hit the ground. He patiently remained there, waiting. The conversation between him and his biological father replayed within his mind, but everything stopped when he noticed an important detail Li Shan had said to him.

"Dad said 'her'! It's not a boy; it's a girl!"

Relieved, he exhaled slowly. "At least I don't need to be worried…"

* * *

The bamboo swayed with the gusts of wind, creating a sweet and all-natural music that would embrace anyone's heart if they were willing to listen. The melody resonated within her heart, making any fatigue throughout the journey just a bad memory.

She was sitting on a rock, checking the map her grandma handed had given her. She went to the Valley of Peace only once and her memories of the road taken at that time quickly faded away. In other words, she felt lost.

The animal opened the bag she was carrying and pulled out a few dumplings. After stuffing them all into her mouth, she stood up and resumed walking through the forest.

Her plan was to keep going until finding someone on the way. Then she would ask for help from someone more reliable than herself at reading the map...if possible.

She stayed on the path, knowing that something would show up sooner or later. Something did come up, but she didn't expect a rundown house. It sounded like a waste of time to even try, and she was getting tired again.

"Hello? Is someone there?" She slightly poked the door, feeling like it may break with a stronger push. "I-I need help…"

After waiting for a few minutes, footsteps approached closer. It made her happy. Whoever was going to appear didn't matter at all because she needed to talk to someone after traveling alone for so much time.

"Who's there? What do you want?" The door opened with a terrible screech, just as awful as the owner of the rude voice that spoke behind it.

Her ears twitched, trying to handle said horrible sounds. "Hello! May I ask you something?"

The bunny that opened the door glared at her. His glare was even more effective thanks to the scar dividing the left eyebrow into two equal parts. "Did someone send you here?! I have nothing to do with it!" He muttered something and left the entrance open behind him. In his own way, he has invited her inside.

"No, wait! I just need a small favour, nothing else…" She followed him, trying to get him to turn to her but ended up stopping midway, her attention dragged away by the ruined atmosphere of the bunny's home. Everything was in shambles; webs and holes covered every part of the house! She wondered how was he able to even live there… How could he see with barely any light?

"HEY PANDA, MOVE YOUR ASS!" He shouted from another room.

The bear frowned upon hearing such a rude remark. "I'm coming…" she sighed, holding back her wish to leave or reply back.

She walked into another room that was, more or less, destroyed like the other one. The bunny was sitting on a counter with another guy sitting next to him on a chair.

"See what they did now? They sent the Dragon Warrior to get us," the bunny claimed as the panda moved closer.

"State your business Dragon Warr-" The other guy stood up, turned towards the panda and froze. She realized it wasn't the darkness of the room that made the corner look black, but the pig's big bulk combined with his black hide.

"You idiot! THAT is not the Dragon Warrior!" The pig whispered to the bunny, swiftly turning back to him.

"What? Really? But that's a panda."

"Don't you see it's a girl?" Then he blushed. "A cute one at that…"

"Hey… Uh… I don't know what you two are doing, but…"

The pig quickly rushed to her and held her right paw. "Oh please forgive my manners and have a seat. You must be tired…"

"No, I'm fine! Really!" She refused to sit down, worried the chairs may break making them angry or something.

"I'm really sorry that my DUMB partner over there confused such beauty for the Dragon Warrior. What is your name, if I may ask?"

"Oh…it's alright. Everyone can make mistakes," she replied with a blush. Gentleman behavior and kind manners were her weak spots. "My name is Mei Mei. I'm a ribbon dancer."

His eyes shined as she said that. The pig's mind instantly imagined the wonderful panda dancing into a marvelous exhibition. "Please, I beg you! Show it to me!"

"Of course I will! But…not now. I need to get to the Valley of Peace; my friends are waiting for me. That's why I knocked on your door. Can you tell me where we are? I have a map if you need to orientate yourself."

The black pig was worried about asking her out. Someone like her could never be single. Probably with the other panda. "Are you…the Dragon Warrior's girlfriend?"

"You silly! Are you checking if you can step up?" She hid her blush behind a small grin. "Po's not my boyfriend." She confirmed, handing her map to him.

"N-No! That won't be necessary," he mumbled, embarrassed of being called out by her, "You just need to follow the path you were walking on. Soon you'll get out of the Bamboo Forest and reach the village."

"Really? Thank you! I appreciate your help." She smiled, walking up to him to kiss him on the cheek. "This is my way of thanking you."

Mei Mei respectfully bowed to them, retraced her steps and headed outside while the pig continued looking at her with dreamy eyes. His expressions melted and he felt like he was in heaven for what the panda did to him.

"I'm confused. Why did you help her? Why did you let her go? Didn't you hear what she said? That panda, aside from being obvious, shares some connection with the Dragon Warrior. We could have-" The bunny asked, suspicious of his weird and abrupt change of behavior.

"Just shut up. We don't kidnap wonderful girls…"

"Do you have a crush on that fat monster?" He mocked with disgust.

"DON'T YOU DARE INSULT HER! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" He turned towards the bunny and jumped on him.

The panda wasn't able to understand what they were saying. She had an idea, but only weird screams reached her ears. "What can I say… No one can resist my charm."

While Mei Mei hummed her way through the forest someone else spotted her. Her outfit shone compared to green surroundings, making it easy to get noticed.

"Hey, take a look at that!" A crocodile exclaimed, pointing at the panda passing by.

"Sorry I'm a little busy here, can't look right now. What's the matter?" Another one replied, putting wet clothes on a rope.

"Stop doing laundry and look at that panda over there!" Fung scolded, tapping his foot on the ground anxiously.

"A panda? You mean Po?" Gahri questioned, still focused on his work.

"...If you would just look for ONE SECOND!"

"Alright, alright… No need to get so worked up." The crocodile, despite obeying, still finished his job and then turned to him, making Fung more upset. "Oh! That's not Po. Why didn't you say it sooner?"

Fung was ready to insult Gahri, but he bottled his anger inside and controlled himself with a deep, long sigh. "Let's follow the pink fat dude. I'm sure they're an interesting target."

The two crocodiles stealthily followed Mei Mei on her way to the village. "What do you wanna do? I thought we were gonna quit this thief thingy…" He whispered to him.

"I know that, but we're running out of money again and there's nothing I can do besides stealing."

"That's a lie…"

"We have to stop the girl before she gets into the village."

"Please, I don't wanna hurt anyone. What happened with Simon was my last," the reptile stated, worried about his friend's reaction.

The crocodile turned around and stared deeply into his eyes, trying to reassure him. "We won't, okay? I promise. Don't make me go alone. I want you to be with me…"

Gahri smiled, feeling more motivated to follow Fung now that a different reason has been shown. "Thanks Fung, but you don't need to-"

"HEY YOU!" Fung yelled, jumping out of the bush they were hiding in. "STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!"

Gahri felt lost for a second. He was ignored, and it probably wasn't the right moment to talk anymore. Fung would have been mad if he'd been interrupted now anyway. With this in mind, he played along and waited for him to do whatever he was thinking.

"Hi! Do you need something? I should get going…" The panda said while moving around to see who called her.

"Yes, I need something. Your stuff."

"My stuff? Oh I get it now. I'm not a merchant, sorry for the misunderstanding. I don't have anything to sell. Even if you see this bag, there's nothing in it."

"Don't play dumb with me. That backpack is huge, it can't be empty! Why would you carry something like that to put nothing in it?!"

"Actually…" She started blushing, "There's something in it, but…" Mei Mei toyed with her paws, trying to handle the embarrassment.

"Oh no…" Gahri face-palmed, thinking the content may be personal stuff.

Fung glanced over his friend, then back to her. "N-NO I DON'T WANT THAT!" He screamed at her with a red face. The crocodile closed his eyes for a few seconds as he tried to conceal his embarrassment and proceed with the plan. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Fung mumbled and jumped a few steps backwards, seeing Mei Mei appear way too close.

"Huh? What's wrong?" She blinked, confused. "The truth is that my backpack is mostly filled with the things I love: food, clothes, makeup and, of course, MY SEWING TOOLS!" Mei Mei pulled out a measuring tape and wrapped it around Fung's arm.

"Uhm… I see, I see."

"Take your paws off my arm first!" The reptile struggled, willing to break it, but the panda noticed and freed him.

"Let me record your measurements please! I can't create any clothes if you keep running away…"

"Is that what you're carrying..? Clothes?! No money? No valuable stuff? Just…clothes?!"

"Uh…that's awkward. What else do you think I would carry? I have some bean buns and-"

"No. I've heard enough. Just shut up! I've wasted enough time with you," Fung hushed her, holding a clawed foot up to stop the nuisance from talking, and then turned towards Gahri, "We'll find someone else, don't worry…"

"Fung, no wait, there's something I need to tell you…" the smaller crocodile tried once again to call out to him, but he didn't listen and walked away.

"PLEASE DON'T GO!" The bear begged, appearing right in front of him.

The crocodile tried to evade her constant attacks; when he moved to he left, she would mirror his exact motion. If he moved back, she would be there, too! For a big, round panda, she ran extremely fast.

"One of my dreams is to be able to create the most beautiful clothes in all of China and, in order to do that, I need to know every ideal size of each kind of animal. You look perfect, that's why I was trying to take your measurements. Could you please stay with me for a while..?"

"I'm not interested," he replied rudely as he walked past her again. "Creep…" he whispered.

"Okay, I understand!" She insisted, grabbing his claw to stop him.

"NO, YOU CLEARLY DON'T!"

"I'LL PAY YOU IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT!"

"...But you said you don't have money."

"Po will lend me some. I've traveled for days. That's the least he can do."

Fung took a long, deep breath. It sounded like a good compromise, but he wasn't really looking forward to spending more time with this weirdo. The crocodile glanced over to his friend, asking for an advice. Gahri nodded with a warm smile, pushing him to accept.

"I…don't even have the energy to throw my helmet on the ground," he murmured, defeated.

"I'm sorry what?" The panda tilted her head, not following what he meant.

"Shut up and do what you have to do."

* * *

The city slowly grew silent. The loud noises he heard before gradually lowered until the only thing Po was able to hear was his own rumbling stomach. Ten, thirty, fifty minutes passed by and he started to become impatient. The fact that he's been waiting for someone else instead of doing something helpful made it worse. The panda was doubting what his father told him; maybe nobody was coming, or that maybe she will come tomorrow or the day after.

Po wanted to turn back and regroup with his friends, but as he started to walk away his mind instantly generated guilt and regret, making him stop in his tracks.

The bear decided not to waste more time and, instead of waiting for her to come to him, went to retrieve her, sprinting towards the forest. Upon reaching the entrance of the forest an incredible sight took him off guard.

"Fung, is that you?" Po asked, holding back his laughter.

The crocodile was wearing clothes more suited for a girl with some makeup caked all over his face. "I dare you to say something. I. Dare. You," he threatened.

Mei Mei and Gahri appeared from behind, still focused on talking to each other.

"Yes, I totally agree on the style you've chosen for your friend. You have awesome taste Gahri."

"Oh please, you're a genius as well. Those pink bracelets? Amazing color choice."

Po coughed, not only to disguise how bad he wanted to laugh, also to direct their attention on him.

"Po! Why are you here? Were you that excited to see me you came to get me by yourself?" She grinned.

The panda held back his disgust as well. "No, not really…"

"Po, what do you think of my fantastic creation? It turned out even better because it's the work of two geniuses!" She proudly pointed at Fung.

"Oh wow, they got you good Fung. I have to admit that you look pretty," Po mocked while the crocodile seemed ready to punch whoever was bold enough to continue taunting him.

"Yes… Pretty like a princess!" Mei Mei continued, provoking the reptile even more.

"GIVE ME MY MONEY OR I SWEAR YOU'RE GONNA REGRET THIS." He grasped a bundle of white fur and hoisted the panda up so they were eye-to-eye, glaring as menacingly as he could with a face coated in makeup.

"What are you talking about? Could you clean your face and change clothes first? I…can't take you seriously with that stuff on."

Mei Mei handed him over a piece of cloth. Fung took it with spite and started fixing himself.

"Mei, listen to me. There is a big problem going on. We're evacuating the city and-"

The crocodile jumped in again. "I don't care what's happening in your stupid village. I want my money and I want it now."

"Sorry, my fault. I promised that you would pay them for the help both he and Gahri have given me…" she explained.

"Fung can we go back? I'm sure they will bring you some later. They're not like us; they don't lie," the smaller crocodile chimed in.

Po needed to leave as soon as possible, but now the two reptiles were quarreling with each other on whether to leave or stay. The panda wanted to grab Mei Mei and run away, but it was rude and a dishonorable choice. If only he had brought some money with him to begin with.

The bear's ears weirdly twitched, his senses were on high-alert for a while now, someone was there, maybe more than one guy and they were watching them. He felt an odd sensation. Po was used by now to understand if someone wanted to attack them or do some harm, it was similar, yet completely different. It was a bloodthirsty aura of someone who wanted to hunt. Whoever was showing this particular feeling was well hidden and trained, also it wasn't aimed at him. That's why it was barely noticeable. They were waiting, waiting for Po and Mei Mei to leave.

"Guys, why don't you all come to the palace? I'll give you your money there," the bear said, trying to not show his worry for what he discovered.

"No. This time I won't accept, even if you give me more than what we agreed on," Fung declared, looking at the female panda with a disgusted expression.

"Then stay here. I don't have any money with me right now so I'll go get some from my father's restaurant. He always leaves something behind for me."

The bigger crocodile crossed his arms, "Fine."

Mei Mei put back the things Fung used in her backpack and hurried towards the village with Po who dragged her by the paw. "Slow down! I can't keep up…"

The panda was so confused when Po abruptly stopped behind a big rock that covered both of them from view. "You said that something bad is happening. Okay, I understand, but I'm not used to running so fast. If you need to go ahead leave me here. I'll walk on my own…"

Mei Mei raised her head towards her friend since he didn't reply and saw that he was peeking out from the rock, as if waiting for something.

"Mei, stay here and don't move. I had a bad feeling before. You'll be safe if you don't follow me. They are not after you."

Po's voice sounded so serious that Mei Mei instantly got chills. "Whatever you're going to do, don't do it alone. I've brought my nunchucks; I can help."

"This is different. They are different. Don't follow me. I want you to be okay… if something goes wrong."

The panda couldn't formulate a response before Po sprinted away, heading back to where they left the crocodiles. Mei Mei held her weapon tighter. She didn't want to be a burden, even if it was going to be dangerous.

* * *

Po quickly returned to the place where he left the crocodiles, but they were nowhere to be found. His heart started to beat faster. The weight of his choice and the outcome tore him apart from the inside.

He tried to concentrate. Po didn't want anyone to get killed no matter what. This wasn't gonna be the ending, not again. A golden aura surrounded his body. The panda unleashed his chi to enhance his own senses, therefore covering a bigger area.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this to us? We don't deserve it…" Gahri's faint voice reached Po from the south, deep inside the Bamboo Forest, probably a desperate attempt to run for their lives.

The bear looked at his paws and realized that he needed to move as fast as possible. He never tried going on all fours, but now wasn't the time to hesitate. It had to work.

Po lowered his body and started to move, one paw after the other, until he could maintain a rhythm. After that, it was simple. He moved twice as fast due to his aura still being active.

"GAHRI!" Po cried out, appearing from the trees. The guy that was after the crocodile swiftly disappeared, returning to his accomplice.

The small crocodile was on the ground, shaking and in tears. "Po…save Fung! I beg you…"

"Run away from here. I'll bring him back to you safe and sound, I promise," he ordered as he glared at the two disgusting beings.

A lion and a lioness were standing before them with inexpressive faces. They didn't care at all. Fung was laying right next to them, unconscious. He must have tried to fight back because some blood was coming out of his mouth and his clothes were torn from lacerations. They were wearing the same black clothes with dark blue pants, only their belts had different colors. The lioness had a purple one and the lion an orange one, as if to communicate something in particular.

"I told you that he noticed," the lioness said, putting her paw on her chin. "He's the Dragon Warrior after all. His presence here is going to be quite troublesome."

The other one shrugged. "Trust me. I did held myself back as long as I could, but…the thought of digging my teeth into their flesh was tempting."

"I understand. We've never tasted a crocodile before. I see why you've been so impatient, Shirong."

"DIGGING YOUR TEETH?! TASTED?! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? ARE YOU TWO INSANE?!" Gahri panicked while crawling away as fast as he could.

Po widened his eyes in terror. The lioness disappeared right before his eyes and he couldn't track her movement at all. He turned back towards Gahri, guessing she might have gone after him and he was right.

"Look what they have done to you. Scared like a bunny. You're a dishonor to the predators of all kind." She gently pried his mouth open, showing his sharp teeth. "What do you think these are for? You've grown up fed on lies!" She pushed her finger on his tooth, drawing her blood that dropped into his mouth. "This is what you should go after, like us."

"Leave him alone!" Po shouted, running to protect his friend, but just like before she was gone, back to where she was.

Gahri forced his mouth closed with his claws, as if fear itself were holding his mouth wide open. "I'm not a cannibal…" He mumbled, afraid.

"Jun, don't inject them with fear otherwise I won't be able to have fun. We can only hunt once a month…" The lion complained, considering it a game.

"Also don't try to leave. It will only give you a few seconds more of life. You and the other one here are already dead. I can make it even quicker since we don't need you alive; your corpses are fine as well. I can easily finish this guy off." The lioness grinned, enjoying the despair growing within Gahri's eyes.

"You're not going to kill anyone!" Po contradicted, bringing some hope back into the crocodile's mind.

"Dragon Warrior," Jun began ominously, irritated about him ruining her game. "You are not skilled enough to win this fight and save them. Leave this place at once. We don't touch the ones who protect the city."

"What is that supposed to mean?! Why are you after them?" Po frowned, not tolerating the arrogance in her voice.

"Sooner or later you will discover this, so we might as well tell you now. Our job is to exterminate the ones who don't deserve to live. We do what the country is afraid to do," she nonchalantly explained.

"Killing is wrong. Doesn't matter who the target is. Bad people are not meant to die!" Po scolded her.

"We…we did nothing this time. This isn't fair. I can change; Fung can change… We don't deserve to die because of our past," Gahri cried, tears running down his snout.

"Your words are meaningless now. Your actions have spoken. Your past records and everything you've done has been registered. We didn't want to take action on your gang because of your vicinity to the Valley of Peace. Making you disappear could've raised suspicion, but now it doesn't matter anymore." She turned away from them, placed her paws around Fung and moved them in a circular movement.

Po quickly dashed towards her, realizing what she was planning to do, but the lion appeared in the way, swiftly aiming a kick in his direction.

"Oh wow, you dodged!" The lion hummed, amused. "I have strict orders about you, but nobody's gonna deny me my entertainment with you, panda."

Po couldn't save him in time. He barely dodged his kick, and when he tried to barge through the lion kept coming back until the panda stopped trying, lowering his guard because of Fung being turned into a green stone.

"What? You thought only Kai could do it? This technique allows you to carry around prisoners quite easily, don't you think?" Jun grinned as she placed the stone in her pocket.

"You should NEVER ignore your opponent!" Shirong laughed, kicking him towards Gahri. "Why don't we make a deal? Lions never break deals. I'll give you back the crocodile we captured and spare the other one next to you. The only thing you need to do is to win our fight. How does that sound? Knocking me unconscious is enough."

Po slowly stood up. The hit didn't do as much damage as they thought it would. He's pretty sturdy and hard to take down. "Is that it? You sound pretty confident… I don't like to kill so you make my job easier."

The lion waited, giving him the advantage to prepare himself after the hit he received. He didn't strike any pose. He simply stood there with his arms crossed behind his back. Shirong was waiting for the right moment to attack when he was fully operative. A green aura surrounded his body, like his opponent with the golden one.

It was one second after Po thought he was ready that the feline ran at him with a swift motion and incredible precision. It was one single hit, a perfect uppercut from the bottom up. The bear's mind didn't understand what happened as pain blossomed instantly.

"Don't tell me I overestimated you… I thought this was gonna last a little more," he sighed, looking over at Po's body on the ground with disappointment.

Shirong shrugged, accepting the outcome and walked over to the paralyzed crocodile. In doing so however, Po grabbed his ankle. "I told you to. Leave. Him. Alone!" The panda shone brighter, lifting the lion as he slowly stood up again before throwing him away.

The feline gracefully landed on the ground as if nothing had happened. "Oh, this is nice! You've already taken two hits in vital areas, yet you're still standing! What is this feeling..? This is such a wonderful experience…" He moaned, losing the cool he had until now. He felt more excited, more…feral.

"I know what you're thinking, Shirong. We can't waste this much time on him. We must return to base before the main mission starts. If you don't hurry up I'll have to interfere," Jun ordered, upset.

The lion took a deep breath, recovering from the odd state of pleasure. "Alright. Geez, you know how to ruin the atmosphere." Then he glanced over to Po, depressed. "I'm sorry, fun's over…"

The lion repeated the same attack, but this time Po could predict it and countered him, hitting his stomach.

"You take advantage of enemies' blind spots! That's how you disappeared so fast from sight. Nice one, but I noticed your trick with those two attacks," he triumphantly confirmed while the lion staggered backwards, cradling his wounded abdomen.

"Really?" He coughed, "You let me hit you on purpose just to understand?"

"In order to use such a technique you must know your opponent beforehand, or maybe only his physique. For a lion that's an easy job…"

The lion was still in pain, yet he laughed, "I can't believe what I just witnessed! He really is something else. I wanna fight him!"

Jun's eyes widened. "No! I told you not to cross the line!"

The lion didn't listen. His aura went wild and something odd enveloped in front of Po. The soft green membrane that danced around his body vividly grew further, turned into a fire until it abruptly calmed down. The color darkened to a raven black colour.

"Do you feel it, Panda!? I won't hold back."

It was an oppressing feeling. Just the power that his body emanated was enough to crush any will to fight. Po felt lucky he wasn't already scared because this could have doubled the fear immensely! One hesitation was all it took to lose from the start. It wasn't just that. The black aura was something completely new, never seen anywhere. It wasn't there only for show.

When the lion landed his first punch on the panda, he confirmed it. The power tripled his basic statistics, even if he blocked it with his arm the pain was unbearable. It felt like a knife cut through his body.

Po was being pushed back by his constant attacks. He wasn't fast enough to dodge and blocking wasn't working at all. He needed to find a solution somehow otherwise he was going to lose!

The bear noticed an opening, broke through his defence and hit him again in the abdomen where he struck before, but it felt like punching a wall. The lion didn't react at all. Po was confused and lost. The punch should have worked. It doesn't matter that he was getting weaker because of the damage he received. He remembered his reaction, his face and how he suffered from it. Why didn't it work?

The lion grinned, already tasting his victory. "This is your limit, Dragon Warrior." He released his final verdict and punched him in the face. "Farewell…" Shirong commented as Po flew away, crashing amongst the trees.

"You know what you just did, right?" Jun glared at him, crossing her arms.

He roared. It was a chilling growl that resonated in the entire forest. It was very similar to the roar Leo unleashed in the past, but ten times worse. "Relax. Everything's fine…" He inhaled and exhaled, trying to contain the beast hidden within. "If he really is that special then I'll be waiting for my rematch."

"Rematch…? Is this over? I don't remember winning…" Po heavily panted.

"You're done panda. You can barely stand, give it up," Jun said, looking at him cough up blood.

"I'm perfectly fine… I can still fight. I can't lose. I can't let you guys win. These guys don't deserve whatever you two are planning to do. I… can't… give-"

"Po…" Gahri pulled his pants, "Thank you for everything."

The bear's eyes dilate in fear. "Gahri no… Don't give up. I can do it…"

"This is our fault. We deserve it. I have only one regret though: I couldn't tell him how happy he made me and how much our friendship meant to me. I'm sorry Po. You did your best and I'm glad you still tried to step up for us even after everything we did to you and everyone else." The crocodile's eyes turned red for how much he cried.

"No, no, NO DON'T SAY THAT! PLEASE!" Po didn't understand he was crying as well until he saw his own tears falling on to the ground. "This is not happening…"

The bear gathered all that's left of his energies and draped himself over Gahri with his own body. "I'll save you, no matter what…"

"Ok this is getting pathetic. Shirong could you please end this now?" Jun asked, annoyed.

The lion simply walked towards them and stared at the defeated animals with a disgusted expression. "Don't force me to hit you again. Let him go, now."

Po didn't say a word and kept looking into his eyes. Nothing mattered if he still had determination to keep going.

"Po…" Gahri's faint voice desperately asked to leave him.

"PO!" Mei Mei shouted as she saw him laying on the ground, "I'M COMING!"

The panda looked away, "Mei I warned you to not com-"

"Forgive me, but this is getting stupid now," Shirong grumbled, hitting him in the stomach. The shock knocked him out. "I even told you that you weren't skilled enough to defeat me." The lion lifted him like a bag of trash and threw him towards Mei Mei. "Bring him back to the Jade palace. He must be healed as soon as possible. I'd like to see him fixed for later."

"Shirong."

"Yeah, you're right. It was indeed a waste of time." He muttered, moving towards Gahri. The crocodile closed his eyes and waited until the nightmare was over. "Let's leave now…" The feline collected the second stone, handed it over to Jun and disappeared.

Mei Mei couldn't say a word. They ignored her presence and she had no idea what happened. Her main concern was the unconscious Po lying as limp as a noodle on the ground. Quickly, she hoisted him on to her back.

"I'm sorry Po… I couldn't do anything to help you out… I'll do what I can and bring you back to your friends now…"


	27. Voice of reason Chapter 3, P4

They were worried. Some people just did a better job at hiding it from view, but it was clear to everyone. What Po told them was a warning. They received time to mentally prepare for whatever was coming...but not everyone was ready.

He silently watched while Simon handed all the stones to Leo, ditching a job that he should have done. Mark ran to him, grabbed his stone and headed outside. He wasn't going to fight, just lend a hand for the evacuation due to him being the fastest of the group.

One-by-one, the humans regained possession of their stolen goods except for Fulvio, who didn't move from his previous position next to the wall.

Noticing that he wasn't going for it, Leo shapeshifted back to his animal form and brought it to him. "Here's your stone. You okay?"

Fulvio looked up, opened his hand and waited for him to place said possession in his hand. "I'm fine. Thanks..."

"I thought Po and Emily helped you feel better somehow..." The lion dropped the stone into the palm of his hand.

"They did help me. I'm just…" He frowned, irritated at not being able to express himself correctly. "I don't know how to explain. I've been thinking about what happened so far over and over like a tape recorder."

"Something is troubling you," the animal confirmed, laying next to him. "That's why you're stuck in this endless circle. Spit it out. Trust me, it helps."

Fulvio took a deep breath, drawing enough energy to communicate his thoughts and feelings for the first time. "I think about how useless I am, Emily not telling me the truth, Po reassuring us that not willing to fight is perfectly fine—which obviously refers to me. Things are moving too fast. I don't know what to do; I'm so confused—"

Leo suddenly grasped his tiny hands. "We're all here for you. We all have questions and doubts. We can face everything together. You don't need to carry these burdens on your own anymore."

The human stared at his paws, surprised. "You're shaking…"

"I'm sorry!" Leo exclaimed, swiftly dropping his hands, embarrassed. "I didn't mean to add another problem..."

"Are you scared?" He asked as if he couldn't believe it.

"There are no words to convey how afraid I am," the lion sighed, wrapping his arms loosely around his body with hopes to calm his trembling.

"I don't understand though. You were the one who offered yourself. You shouldn't react like...this."

"You were going to say like me, weren't you?"

"...Yeah," he admitted, avoiding eye contact.

"Fulvio, you keep forgetting something important that you shouldn't overlook. We are just like you. We cry; we make mistakes; we grow up; we win; we lose, and the list goes on. The point is...you keep looking at everyone as if they are perfect and you couldn't be any more...wrong."

The boy didn't say anything. He glanced around with his eyes spotting Emily vividly speaking with Rebecca. The human couldn't clearly hear what they were saying, but the theme of their discussion was easy to guess.

"We all are amazing living beings…" Leo breathed out with dreamy eyes, looking at the same thing his friend was staring at. He seemed completely wrapped up in his own thoughts that he forgot the oppressive feeling torturing him just a few seconds before.

"Oh! Sorry, I don't want you to misunderstand." The lion resumed his speech, "I'm talking about everyone, not just us. Every person has their own mindset, experiences, personality, thoughts, and fantasies. I am truly amazed at how different and unique everyone can be. It's okay to feel sad; it's okay to feel confused."

Leo turned to him and smiled. "You don't need to blame yourself because you can't be like Emily who's trying so hard to lead the group, or like Simon who wants to protect his friends from the shadows. You need your time and that's okay. Mark is still learning how to open up. Rebecca seems to have some issues that she has yet to reveal, see? We don't travel at the same speed. Your wish to grow is already a huge step forward, so please be more proud of yourself."

"Why are you babbling about me having hidden issues, huh?" Rebecca inquired, popping out from behind him, followed by the fox. "Don't try to lecture me like that!" The swan puffed her cheeks, irritated.

Leo awkwardly smiled back at her, raising his paws, "I-I didn't mean to offend you!"

Fulvio didn't understand why, but he was smiling. A few minutes ago he didn't have enough energy to react and now he felt…motivated somehow. Looking at Leo desperately trying to argue against the angry Rebecca made him laugh. They weren't really fighting, just teasing, another attempt to cheer him up. Their smiles, their emotions, their thoughts. His friend was right. They were unique, special and beautiful. These are the things he wanted to see; the things he wanted to protect.

"Have you made up your mind?" Emily asked, observing the tightening of the stone in his hand.

"Yes, I think…"

"Say it with confidence then!" The fox encouraged.

"Yes! I am!" He shouted, stopping the quarrel of his friends without thinking.

"What are you all staring at?" The human asked, blushing. Fulvio's body was enveloped by a soft, warm light that changed his appearance into a panda.

"Rebecca, it's okay," the panda said, coming back to their previous argument. "Take your time. We don't want to force you open. Just one step—"

"DON'T USE HIS WORDS ON ME!" She shouted, cutting him off.

The smile soon turned into a grin that evolved into laughter. "I'm just sharing his wisdom!"

The swan crossed her wings and rolled her eyes. She didn't want to ruin the mood they worked so hard to achieve. "I guess…"

After spending some more time chatting with each other, the Furious Five returned to the Palace, but some people were missing.

"Has he not returned?" Tigress asked Simon, the closest one to her, searching around with her eyes.

"Who are we talking about? As far as I can see two of you are not here," the crocodile questioned, confused.

"Where is Po?" Her composure didn't change much, but she seemed upset and worried.

"Po was the last one to leave the palace bringing Mark along, but he didn't show up. You're the first ones to appear," Simon explained. "Did something happen to them?"

"Don't worry about Mark." Viper slithered inside. "He's just outside the palace and Po's probably still waiting for Mei Mei to reach the village, Tigress." The snake repeated, "That's what he said and, if you want, we can go check on him."

"I know. You told me that already. I had a bad feeling while heading back here, but when I noticed everything at the palace was fine my mind instantly flashed back to Po." Tigress was still thinking about what he told her when they were alone.

"I'm sure he's fine!" Viper exclaimed, reassuring her. "Regardless, let's look for him. I don't think that you won't stay here doing nothing…"

"Hey guys, I see something pink at the bottom of the stairs, I think it's waving their paws at me! Is that the Mei Mei you were talking about?" Mark said, walking in.

"See? They're ba—" Viper couldn't finish her statement due to Tigress suddenly moving past her with a hurried pace.

"Tigress?" The snake tilted her head, confused about her weird behavior as everyone went outside. The chilling vibes Tigress emitted urged them to check on the two pandas.

"Tigress! Help me, please! I can't do it on my own…" She panted out, striving to keep climbing with Po wrapped around her.

The feline froze for a few seconds as her eyes captured the image of a bleeding, dirty Po that couldn't even move on his own. Tigress leaped into action, reaching them as fast as possible while moving on all fours. "Po! What happened?! Who did this to you?!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Mei Mei chanted as she helped Tigress load the panda on her back instead. "This is all because of me! They were there because of me! I didn't know wha—"

"Tigress…" Po coughed, slowly opening his eyes. "Bring me to the others… This is serious, very serious…"

"Don't force yourself. Mantis will fix you up…" She stated, running up the Thousand Stairs.

Tigress quickly reached the top and made her way among the group. In just one second, fear, worry and rage have been injected into everyone's hearts as they swiftly followed the feline inside.

Tigress gently lowered Po on to a bed. Mantis jumped upon him, immediately checking his condition. Utter silence filled the room. No one dared to talk and ask how he was; they were afraid to know the severity.

"I'm okay…" The panda weakly spoke, "What's wrong with you all? You really think someone can kill me? I'm a strong living wall!"

"This is…strange," Mantis commented, continuously arranging needles in Po's body. "He has superficial wounds. They're not deep at all…"

Tigress' ears perked up, waiting for an explanation. "What about internally?"

"That is what I don't understand. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have internal wounds either."

"What?" Po retorted, "It doesn't make any sense. He hit me in the face and in the stomach. It hurt, it still hurts. What's going on?"

"Were you having a chi-infused fight? You need to tell me everything that happened."

The panda took a deep breath, grit his teeth and slowly shared with them what the lions did. It took a while as he needed to constantly take breaks because of the wounds they inflicted on him. His entire body was pulsing as if on fire.

Almost everyone was listening to his speech. The Furious Five were all around him, trying to ease the pain he was feeling in any possible way. On the other hand, the humans were conflicted on how to react to this. Leo and Emily endured it. Since they were the ones others look up to, they knew they needed to stay strong. Rebecca instantly isolated herself. That sight brought back her fears, forcing the fox and the cheetah to follow her. Fulvio was the only one who reacted differently from his usual self, inching closer and holding Po's paw with worry, trying not to get in the bug's way.

"Interesting…" Mantis moved on the bed, "This is probably the result of losing too much chi. We could try to share some of ours with you. It may help you recover a bit, or at least allow you to rehabilitate the basic functions of your body."

"If they think I will let them do whatever they please they're wrong," Tigress declared out loud, "Leo, I forbid you to accept the exchange."

"What are you saying?!" The lion raised his voice, surprised, "It will only make things worse!"

"I'm not going to follow their rules anymore, not after what they did to..." Her gaze drifted to her injured comrade before glancing up to the rest of them.

"Tigress…wait… I have a better plan…" Po whispered, losing all of his strength.

"Let's help Po first, then we can think about to do next," Viper resolved, putting her golden tail on Po's body.

Tigress, Viper, Mantis and Monkey shared a portion of their chi with Po.

"Is it working?" Monkey asked, starting to feel a bit tired, "I hope I'm not just wasting my energy because this isn't the best moment to do so."

Their golden appendages were shining with a warm light that slowly covered most of his body. The panda started to feel better, but when he tried to stand up, his arms gave up on him.

"Don't force yourself," Tigress said, "If it's not enough I'll give you some more."

"How much chi does he need?" Viper questioned, worried that they all may get tired too quickly just to fix one person. "Are we sure about this?"

The crocodile inched closer, placed his hand on Po's stomach and followed everyone's example. "Maybe quantity and quality don't matter if there aren't enough people in the first place."

"When did you learn how to share chi?" The bug asked, impressed.

"Is it really that hard?" Simon muttered, looking directly at Fulvio, "You just need to focus. Everything else will move on its own…"

The panda knew that the reptile was hinting at him, but he never tried transferring before. He doesn't even know how to summon that weird yellow aura. Fulvio didn't want to be useless; he didn't want to be just a burden. He wanted to protect the things he loved, the people he loved.

…He closed his eyes and kept holding Po's paw. It was warm and soft, just like his.

"Trust your feelings," the panda breathed out with a cheerful smile. "Remember?"

Fulvio didn't open his eyes, but Po's words brought his mind back to the past. In these five weeks they lived together, the emotions, the adventures, the smiles, even the tears; everything was important because that's what makes us, us.

"How do you feel?"

"This is…hard to describe. I can sense the blood circulating through my veins and arteries to my beating heart. I feel like I'm extremely sensitive. I can sense my entire skin that endures against the air that keeps blowing towards it. ...What is this?"

"Open your eyes."

Fulvio obeyed and realized he was surrounded by a golden aura. "I see… So this is how it feels when you release your own chi."

Po tried again. He wasn't in his best form, but now he managed to stand up. Everyone's aura faded away when they noticed it wasn't necessary anymore, except for the panda.

"I…this is a bit embarrassing, but…how do you make it go away?" Fulvio shyly asked, toying with his fingers.

The Dragon Warrior stepped closer and embraced him. "Don't feel pressured. Take it easy. Take a deep breath and let go of whatever you're holding right now."

"Whatever…I'm holding?"

"I…don't know what you thought about to trigger it. This is all up to you now."

The human smiled. He knew from the start what he was talking about. It's tiring and definitely not easy to deal with this messed up mind of his, but he wasn't going to walk away anymore.

"Yes, that's it. You're doing awesome!" The panda cheered, noticing the aura growing weaker until it completely vanished.

"Nice job!" Viper happily commented, amazed by their work. It felt like a perfect student-teacher moment.

"His aura was huge! Did you guys see that?" Monkey added.

"Is it me or was that …different?" Simon asked, analysing what just transpired.

"We don't know everything about chi. There are still a lot of mysteries in the world. Who knows what caused such a unique reaction," Mantis commented, leaning on the crocodile's shoulder.

"Can you stand? You alright now?" Tigress took his paw, just in case he collapsed again.

"Not really, but that awful pain is gone," the panda sighed, looking in her eyes. "We have to get Shifu back."

The feline stepped back. "I told you already. I won't bend to their rules."

"We could pretend to give them what we want, someone sneaks behind their backs and bam! We forcefully take Shifu with us just a few moments before," Monkey chimed in.

"...We need to get Fung and Gahri, too. We can't execute that plan. I must find where their base is," Po continued.

"Tigress, I beg you. Allow me to do this. This is our only option." Leo moved forward, determination in his eyes.

"Emily! Mark!" Po called them from the other side of the room while they were still trying to cool down Rebecca's rampaging emotions. They turned around, but didn't move.

The panda limped to them and sat down next to the swan. She was crying, repeatedly chanting, "I don't wanna do this, I wanna go home. I'm no fighter, I'm scared. Mom is this the punishment for what I've done?"

Po kindly lifted her head buried amongst her wings and wrapped his arms around her, essentially giving Rebecca a beat hug. "I'm sorry. This shouldn't have happened to you, your friends, to anybody. I really wanna say that everything's going to be fine, that I will fix the situation, but…I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen. I'm doing my best, I swear I'm really trying to prevent you all from fighting and joining us."

Rebecca sobbed and cleaned herself. "I know! I know it's not your fault I'm like this…"

"Sometimes you need to break through your limits if you love your friends, especially if you wanna protect what is most important for you. Otherwise, one day you'll regret it. You'll lose it and it will hurt even more…"

Po stood up and let her go. "...Give her some space now. I need you two to listen to me."

Mark nodded. Emily caressed her left wing and then moved away to listen to Po.

"This is a specific plan. Everyone's help is needed. In order to trick a lion we must think like them."

"Are you seriously trying to outsmart a lion?!" Mantis instantly hopped from Simon's shoulder to Po's. "There's no way we can do that!"

"They may be strong and clever, but they have a huge flaw. They are extremely proud and arrogant. We just need to bait them out! We have to create a plan that is meant to be discovered by them in order to protect the real one, but you knew that already. I anticipated it earlier. I have a role for each one of you so listen carefully."

"I-I'm so lost guys…" Mei Mei looked around, discovering several new faces. "Who are these people? What's happening? Why's the city empty?"

"Oh…sorry Mei Mei," Po apologized, "I'll fill you in with a short version, but I can't say everything to you now. After we put this plan in motion I'll answer every question you have."

* * *

The room quieted at once. Po's plan didn't sound like something he would usually come up with. It showed how unusually serious he was and how dangerous the enemy must be. The panda acted safely and cautiously regarding the idea he prepared, asking each one of his friends to repeat their role and what they needed to do.

The group separated, following the instructions the bear had given. The Furious Five waited outside, ready to welcome their guests.

"Mark…" Rebecca grasped the cheetah's paw. "There is… something I have to tell you."

The feline blushed, misunderstanding. "I think you should wait for now. I have something to say as well, but…later, okay? When everything's over."

"Whatever happens, please don't hurt anyone…"

Mark's eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?"

"I know that sometimes it is necessary to do it, but…can you promise me you won't fight anyone unless you must?"

"Rebecca, you heard what I have to do. It doesn't mean I"ll-"

"They're coming!" Monkey cried out, running inside.

"I have to go. Stay here," Mark commanded, standing up.

The humans flew past Rebecca, following Monkey and the cheetah. She stood there, alone, before crumpling to the floor.

Mark wanted to ask where they were since he didn't see anyone but his friends. He noticed they were all looking down the Thousand Steps, so instead of talking he made his way there to understand.

"I wasn't expecting so many of them…" Leo breathed out, staring down at the marching animals heading towards them.

"Their objective is to paralyze us," Tigress angrily commented, "I've defeated armies bigger than this one. If they think their size will scare us off, they're wrong!"

"Until now we've never fought people able to power themselves with chi. Trust me, if they are anything like him, we have no choice but to play along," Po reminded her with a sad tone.

"Leo." Fulvio placed his paw on the lion's back. "You alright?"

"I'm okay. They won't hurt me after all. It's just a bit of anxiety," the human reluctantly replied, shivering. "I'll put myself in position and…"

"I believe in you."

"You what?"

"You're strong. You…we can do this. Pull yourself together. Just like you all put me back together." Fulvio realized how embarrassing that was and turned his now beet-red face away.

The lion smiled. "Yes, you're right. I have no reason to be worried if we all work together, right?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"Let's do our best!" The lion shouted, running back inside the Hall of Training.

Po carefully observed the troop carefully. Something weird caught his eye, but chose not to bring it up as to not alarm anybody.

"Mantis, how many?"

"I believe I counted one hundred."

"I see."

"I have a feeling this is just a small fraction of their actual manpower…"

"Thanks Mantis, that's all I needed to know."


	28. My feelings Chapter 3, P5

Time's the biggest jerk of all. When you're having fun it speeds up to make your happiness disappear as soon as possible. When you're having a bad time, it does the exact opposite just to torture you more; to make you feel worthless.

They all felt like time didn't want to collaborate. No matter what they did, there was no stopping the company. From a distance, their problems were insignificant, yet the closer they appeared, the more the anxiousness arose. In a synchronized fashion, the troop of carnivores ascended the staircase, their footsteps booming like thunder.

"The Dragon Warrior got patched up, I see."

A voice spoke up from behind everyone's back. Po was the only one to recognize who the voice belonged to, but it didn't take long until everyone else did as well.

"That's why I couldn't find you. Were you spying on us, Shirong?" Po questioned the lion walking towards them as if nothing important was going to happen.

"Yeah, something like that."

He smiled. It was the classic reaction you usually show friends and people you've known for a long time. He was taunting them.

"Our leader wanted to be sure you guys wouldn't try anything stupid. She's working with you, not against you."

Po turned towards Tigress. He noticed her fists tightening.

"But as I can see everything's fine. I'm glad I beat you up earlier. I helped you realize."

The panda's eyes widened in surprise. Shirong must have spotted them earlier!

"How dare you to come in here and disrespect us like this!" The feline growled and dashed towards him, ready to strike the lion down with a punch.

"TIGRESS NO!" To the surprise of his comrades, Po uncharacteristically shielded the enemy with his own body, forcing Tigress to stop just an inch before her attack hit her friend.

"...Why? Why are you doing this?"

Silence.

"I thought you trusted me."

Her entire body trembled. Two different decisions were fighting within her brain to take control until her fist struck the ground in the middle of Po's feet.

"And I thought you, more than anybody else, were able to understand how I feel." Eyes closed, she slowly moved away.

"That's enough, Shirong. I know what you're thinking and I won't let you do that."

A second lion showed up from the Thousand Steps. A lioness.

"I can't hide anything from you, can I?" The sarcastic enemy shrugged and walked towards her, but his eyes never strayed from Po. Another small grin decorated his face as he faded behind the army that finally reached the top.

Po, the Five and the human stepped away in order to make enough space to let them enter without making a mess.

The army itself seemed off. Soldiers wore armors of varying colors: red, orange, yellow, purple, blue and green, making any outsider utterly confused. One noticeable thing was that there were two types of armor. Some lions wore a Phoenix themed armor and others a Dragon themed one, but it didn't make any sense to them. Since both females and males were wearing it, sex wasn't the correct answer. It seemed impossible to understand the reason! There must have been some kind of pattern they couldn't follow.

The only lioness entirely different from everyone else, even Jun and Shiron, who were wearing the same confusing armor.

"I'm honored to finally have the chance to meet the legendary hero of kung-fu, the Dragon Warrior."

The lioness stepped forward next to Jun and humbly bowed to greet them. A few seconds later the entire army, including Jun, followed her example.

"I will now bow to them," Tigress cut off, quickly denying their enemies a simple act of fake courtesy. "We're not friends, nor are we allies. Not after everything you've done to us."

"I understand that the choice of kidnapping is bad in your eyes and you may not forgive us for this, but we know that a better option wasn't possible-"

"THEN WHY DID YOU HAVE TO HURT PO? WHY DID YOU KIDNAP MORE PEOPLE? IF YOU CLAIM TO BE OUR ALLY PROVE IT TO ME!"

"Tigress…please stop. Don't make this harder."

Po tried to walk towards her only to pause, falling to his knees while coughing. He started to feel weakened again.

"Po! You alright?!" Fulvio rushed to him before Tigress could and she stopped half way there, watching him help his friend out.

"Jun, is there something I should know about?" The lioness kindly asked, turning towards her. "What are they talking about?"

"It's inside the latest report I've written. I figured you wouldn't read it." Jun explained, "Basically, we were spotted during the hunt. Shirong, instead of following protocol, decided to be a show off. The Dragon Warrior barely endured it."

Before the lioness could call for the lion he made his way to the front once again. "Come on Lanfen, you know that I-"

"No, don't you dare try." Lanfen placed her paw on his face, pushing him away. "I told you that you're free to do anything with a few exceptions. You're a general, it's important to set a good example otherwise our society would be utter chaos. You don't follow the rules. You can't just act on your own like that."

The lioness continued towards the two pandas and offered her help. "I thought you cared, Shirong. Do you not care about your life? Po is essential for us all to survive."

"That's why I didn't-"

"You…didn't?" Lanfen repeated, feeling like he had just mocked her. "I noticed his chi was weaker than before, but I didn't realize it was this messed up."

"He did hold back," Jun commented, "At least in the beginning."

"What are you doing to do to him?" Fulvio's words shivered with anxiety and fear.

"I'd like to fix him up." Lanfen raised her arm to the sky and snapped her fingers.

Among the crowd someone made his way through holding a small bag. "Do you really wish to use our power? Maybe we can fix this with the traditional method," the lion suggested, laying the bag on the ground.

"Check yourself if you don't believe me. This can be deadly if we leave it untouched," Lanfen replied, moving the panda towards the doctor.

The lion touched his abdomen, then placed his paw on the chest and gently pushed in, "This is clearly the work of Shirong…" He sighed, confirming the leader's theory.

The lion didn't move his paw from where he was, closed his eyes and focused. A gold wave of energy enveloped the panda. "Don't move, it won't take much."

The energy was being concentrated on Po, but it was so strong that everyone in the area felt cuddled and relieved by the warm light.

"Thanks Doc," Lanfen said with a smile.

"Do what you want, Lanfen, now that you still can," the healer cryptically replied and returned to his place in the crowd.

The lioness rolled her eyes and went back to Po. "How do you feel now? If it didn't work right away give it a minute. Your chi must absorb the new energy its received."

"Th-Thank you…" Po reluctantly replied, standing up with Fulvio's help.

"I am truly sorry. I didn't know such catastrophe occurred. I'll deal with that insolent lion later. Now we should resume from where we were interrupted." Lanfen stood up, cleaned her vest and went back to her position.

"Maybe you didn't listen, or maybe you're pretending you didn't," Simon muttered. "Shifu's not enough. You want Leo? Fine. Hand over the crocodiles that idiot took."

"I heard it, I just didn't want to reply. I knew my answer wouldn't satisfy you."

"What is that supposed to mean?! Speak up!"

"I do not organize which targets will be chosen for the hunt, nor do I take custody of them when it is completed. Shirong is the only one who can provide you a decent answer, but if he followed the rules our guests must be inside our base right now. Understand that I don't have time to deal with this. It is a minor problem that you shouldn't care about. They're villains, I presume. It won't matter what we do to them, right? Consider it a punishment."

"IF YOU THINK I WILL LET THEM DIE BY THE HANDS OF DISGUSTING CANNIBALS LIKE YOU YOU'RE WRONG!" Simon shouted, pointing his sharp fangs at her.

Lanfen didn't reply. Her face showed surprise, as if she wasn't expecting them to know that much about them. "This is indeed troublesome… That's why we keep these activities secret to avoid any complications."

The lioness pondered for a few moments and declared, "I'll release them. Is that to your satisfaction?"

"Now."

"...They're not here. You must wait until after the exchange. I'll drop them where my units found them."

"How am I supposed to believe that you'll do it? You could easily lie."

"Yes, you're right. There's no way for you to know if I'll keep my word or not, but you have no other choice." She placed her paw on her cheek, sighing. "Can we make this trade already? We're wasting time, and that's the last thing I can waste right now."

"HEY! WE'RE NOT DONE YET!" The crocodile angrily replied, upset to have been disregarded.

"Simon, don't do anything reckless!" Monkey jumped in the way and held him back from attacking her.

"Bring him forward," Lanfen commanded, looking at her army.

Two lions marched towards the front. In the middle of the duo was a silent Shifu, handcuffed, head lowered. He didn't want to meet anybody's eyes to see their shattered feelings.

"Shifu! Thank God you're safe!" Po set himself free from Fulvio's care and sprinted to him, not realizing he was already recovered.

Jun and Shirong appeared just before the panda could touch him. "You know what you should do first, Dragon Warrior."

"Shifu!" Po called again, trying to look at him through the lions to obtain a response. "Why isn't he saying anything? What did you do to him?"

Lanfen walked next to the red panda. "They are worried. Worried we may trick them somehow. Could you please prove to them that you're okay?" She warmly smiled.

"I'm sorry, Po." The old master slowly raised his gaze just to see everyone's worries, fears and…Tigress' eyes. "I thought I could prevent this, but I was just being naive…"

"Shifu…" Po breathed out, sad to see him, a perfectly collected master, messed up like this. "Don't worry! Everything's gonna be fine! I promise!"

"You all are taking your sweet time to do this and I can't keep this going any longer. I must see the lion. Where is he?" The lioness muttered, starting to lose her cool.

Po's ears lowered as he looked away. Just like everyone there he didn't want to sacrifice anyone; he didn't want to play this sick game. The lions are enjoying this and don't care about how they feel. "He's inside… Viper, please, call him out."

"Are you sure this is the right choice?" The serpent repeated, glancing around, "I'm not going to argue, I'm just…sad to see this happen while not being able to do something."

"You think I don't know? I see it as well! I don't wanna do this either! This is our only option if we want to push forward! My heart is crushed everytime I see my friends suffer!" Po vented, but instantly regretted it seeing Viper's expression grow worse.

"I'm sorry, Po. I-I know this is hard for everyone. I didn't mean to-I'll go get Leo." She cut herself off, knowing that she talked too much, and slithered towards the Hall of Training.

The door leading to where the human was quickly opened after the snake went in. The lion stepped outside, followed by Viper.

"So many people... It's making me even more anxious." Leo shivered as he glanced around. "They all look like me. We barely have differences. I suppose I'm not used to seeing another one of this kind…"

"Can you handle this?" The serpent kindly questioned, "If you don't want to we'll fight. It's not a big deal."

"No, I want this. I'm scared, but I'm not going to run away," he declared, moving towards Lanfen and Po.

"Good luck, Leo. I hope you'll be safe." Viper stopped and let him proceeding on his own.

Leo froze when his eyes and Lanfen's met. He gulped, not knowing what to do or say.

"I can't believe I'm looking at Ming Zhu, the real deal in fur and bones! Please forgive me I can't show the level of excitement I usually do. I'm in the middle of a serious mission to save everyone from certain death and I don't have the luxury to fangirl over your gorgeous person."

Leo's anxiety and worry disappeared after what she said. He didn't sense her as a threat, making everything he thought meaningless. "If you aren't I can't imagine when you truly are…"

"Ah, don't worry about that. After we complete our mission I'll have all the time in the world to enjoy a warm cup of tea together and talk about things I know you'll love."

Lanfen invited him to follow her through her army, but he didn't move. She knew what he wanted and pointed at her guards. Jun and Shirong carried Shifu to Po, freeing the red panda from his handcuffs.

"Shifu! You okay?"

The old master wasn't listening. He was looking at Leo, just like the lion was looking back at him. "Prepare yourself for what will come, Leo. We're all counting on you."

The human firmly nodded, hurrying back to Lanfen and disappearing from everyone else's sight. The army retreated shortly after the four lions walked down the Thousand Steps.

"Emily, Mark!" Po shouted as he watched upon the enemy leaving the Valley, "Be careful, they are strong. Do not underestimate them, and keep distance from them even if you are able to perfectly hide and camouflage, okay?"

"I survived almost twenty years because no one ever spotted me, y'know? There's no way I would mess this up now," the cheetah proudly claimed, propped on all fours.

"Did you train yourself though?" The fox asked as she sat on his back, "You're the fastest animal in the world right now, not just a human…"

"Trust me. If there's something I can do, it's running. I'll show you."

Mark swirled his tail with excitement and ran at his maximum speed down the valley, carrying Emily along.

"Good luck!" Po yelled in vain.

"Po, share with me the shortest version of your plan. I must know if what you're doing is actually helpful…" Shifu said, walking inside the palace.

"It's going to be a bit complicated. I don't know if I can really… Shifu?"

Po read the air, but still couldn't believe that Shifu and Tigress didn't warm up to each other as fast as everyone else.

"Were you…worried?" The red panda reluctantly asked as if something was holding him back.

"Yes, Master. I was. I apologize for bringing dishonor to you and everyone else."

"That won't be necessary. I'm the one who's at fault. I made a terrible mistake and dragged you all into their trap."

"It's okay. My plan will surely work out! They don't know, I think…" Po chimed in.

"Sounds like you know something…" Viper slithered in, slightly upset. "I hope you didn't do something reckless. You sent Emily and Mark, not us. We have more experience! You can't just throw them into danger!"

"The truth is…I don't know either. Remember when Shirong first appeared? I…felt like he knew, but he didn't say anything."

"I can confirm that. He taunted us on purpose, I'm sure he wanted to hide it behind cruel words…" Monkey agreed. "That is something I used to do in the past. He was covering himself from Jun…"

"It doesn't make sense though…" Tigress argued, "A lion would never betray another lion."

Po placed his paws on his head, trying to squeeze an answer out. "AAAAH I DON'T KNOW! MY HEAD'S STARTING TO HURT. I'M TRYING TO BE SMART, BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH RIGHT NOW!"

"I just hope nothing bad happens to them," the snake sighed, staring at the now small lions leaving the village.

* * *

The sound of countless footsteps banging against the ground reverberated through Leo's mind. He didn't know whether or not it was alright to talk, ask, or do anything. The awkward silence didn't help at all. If Lanfen wasn't threatening, her guards surely were!

Their march continued all the way to the bottom until they both stopped in front of a wagon. One of the countless lions opened its door, allowing Lanfen to sit inside. He did the same with Leo, but he was paralyzed and didn't move.

"It's okay…" The lioness soothed, "There is nothing to be afraid of. They will carry us back home…or do you wish to walk?"

The human didn't reply and went inside. The wagon wasn't that big. It was meant for one, maximum two people. Jun and Shiron didn't leave them alone, they simply sat outside the wagon while the other lions began to move.

"Isn't it nice to be carried around?" Lanfen smiled, looking outside, "I always like sightseeing new places, but to do that I have to sacrifice some manpower…"

She sighed. "We can't afford to move too fast. It's too soon to copy the technology of your world. These people are not ready." She took his paw and held it tighter. "Oh, Ming… you can't understand how excited I am to see you! You're, like, a living myth to all of us!"

"I'm...not Ming though."

"Sorry, I don't remember your human name, but it doesn't matter, right? I think you already know that Ming and you are the same person."

"Are we…really the same?"

"Well…yes and no. You're an alternate version of him, most likely how Ming would have turned out if he was a human. Same thing to you if you were a real animal. You two share the same soul, but it depends on how you have grown. With contrasting developments, your thoughts and personalities could be different."

"Am I?"

"We know Ming only because our people left books, stories and information about him everywhere, but we have no idea of his actual personality. I apologize again for being useless."

"N-No, it's fine…"

"Some of my reports warned me about your awareness of feeling like copies, as if you were meant to be like this no matter what. I do wish to argue this point and break it down. You and Ming are the same person. It doesn't mean he is the original and you're the fake one. There is another me in your world, just like you. You're no different from everyone else."

"Doesn't that make you feel…limited? There's someone exactly like you and you're meant to be this way."

"Not really. You just share similarities because you've been created with the same base, but you can grow and develop completely different or completely the same. That will still be your choice. Furhermore, nobody is ever supposed to meet their clone because they usually live in different timelines as well, not just dimensions. Ming lived five hundred thousand years ago and you live in the beginning of the technology era. In other words, I would feel happy to know someone who's like me you know; we could have been the best of friends."

Silently, Leo stared outside at the scenery passing by, not completely convinced.

Lanfen giggled, "I guess you're not easy to persuade. I'll prove it to you."

"P-Prove it? How could you-?"

"That's a secret!" She hummed, hushing him. "You'll see when we get there!"

"Lanfen, shouldn't we blind him or something? We're reaching the bamboo forest and it's important to keep our base and personal info a secret. He's not a real lion," Jun complained, peeking inside the wagon.

"You're wrong. He has our blood. One hundred percent. I want him to see everything! He's one of us after all, but you're right on something."

Lanfen pointed her paw at him, opening it wide to show him the Chinese symbol printed on it. "This is my little special power, I can cast curses."

"Curses..?"

"Basically, I can strike deals with people or on myself if they want it or not. If you follow the rules you'll be rewarded. On the other hand, if you don't obey, my power will automatically punish you as soon as you break it. It's very useful you know? I can always be sure that people are loyal and obedient to me," Lanfen explained with a soft smile, hiding the true dangerous value of such power. "Oh, don't worry! It's not easy to cast a curse on someone. You'll know when I'll teach the basics of chi. This is my proposal: you're free to ask me everything, see everything, read everything and do anything you want, but you're not allowed to share anything you did with us to your friends or anyone who isn't a lion unless you ask me beforehand."

"What if I refuse? Will you force it?"

"I don't think you will, but if that happens I would simply use the traditional method and every piece of information you're looking for will be off-limits. Is that what you want? Did you come here to obtain nothing?"

"I feel like you're reading my soul…"

"I'll take that as a compliment. I am the leader of this empire, this is only natural for me."

"How do I-"

"Hold my paw."

Leo listened to her and reluctantly held her paw. Lanfen gripped his as strong as possible. The mark on her paw burned his. He tried to set his free, but it felt like they were glued together and he could only endure the pain until Lanfen herself let him go.

"THAT HURT…" The lion screamed, checking his paw. The same symbol was now on his paw as well.

"I'm sorry, that's how it works." She turned towards Jun, "So? Are we okay now?"

"I don't get it. Why are you wasting so much time and energy on this kid?"

"You don't need to understand. You're just a guard. It is none of your concern how I work. I told you the plan, that's enough." She became extremely serious and slightly upset towards Jun, a side of her Leo hadn't seen until now.

"I apologize if I came across as rude." Jun returned to her place, leaving the two lions alone again.

The lioness stretched her arms and limbs. "It will take a hour or two, depending on my soldiers deciding to do their jobs properly, so I recommend you sleep if you're tired." Lanfen yawned, "Every time I travel in here I start to feel sleepy and tired. I don't know why, it relaxes me."

"I'm content for now, thanks…"

"Good. Just saying, take a pillow and sleep. That's what I'll do now." The lioness knocked towards the small door that led to the outside, "Jun, Shirong! Wake me up before we arrive! Last time it was truly shameful to show me still asleep…"

"Not my fault Lanfen if you can't keep a royal aura around yourself!" Shirong mocked her with a grin.

"Very funny Shirong. Don't forget that we still have to talk about your actions."

"You really need to make a boring lecture?"

"...I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

While the wagon continued on its course towards the lions' base, Lanfen gathered some pillows and went to sleep. Leo continued to stare outside the window. Eventually, he started to feel tired as well as there was nothing to look at but bamboo trees. The boredom brought drowsiness upon the worried the lion until he followed her example and rested all the way to their city.

* * *

"Ming, wake up," a lioness exhorted, shaking his body. "We will cross the gate soon. We need to show some proper manners in front of the others, but I admit I enjoyed looking at you while you were sleeping. So cute…"

"...You honestly leave me speechless," Leo replied as he sat up to look outside, trying to ignore Lanfen's weird stalker-like behavior.

The human glanced around and, just like before, only bamboo surrounded them.

"I thought you said we've arrived?"

"Indeed, we have arrived," she confirmed, stopping the wagon. "Jun! Turn off the camouflage device!"

The lioness pulled out a weird remote with just one red button that she pressed as soon as she pointed it in the direction where the wagon was supposed to go.

Leo stared in awe when a huge wall appeared where nothing was supposed to be. A closed iron gate blocked their way in.

"Isn't it great? When you combine chi and technology you can create something extraordinary." Lanfen commented, "WE'RE BACK! OPEN THE PASSAGE!" The lioness screamed towards the iron door.

There was a distinct lack of creaking valves and sharp clicks as the gate slowly opened, allowing them to move inside.

Leo's eyes widened, overwhelmed by a nostalgic feeling. Inside looked nothing like the outside showed. It felt like they all stepped into another realm, another world that crossed time itself. Everything he knew about Ancient China was gone. It was more like his version of China. Their technology wasn't a joke, she wasn't just…messing around when she said that.

"I thought you would say something," Lanfen hummed, slightly upset. "Everything we have here is thanks to you! That's why we don't really care if you're not one hundred percent lion. Your world, your people lighted our way and we discovered what the future was hiding from us."

The human was taken aback by everything. The houses were truly designed as if someone went to his world, visited China and copied everything they could find.

"The God's Eye…" Leo breathed out, "That artifact must have been really powerful."

"I see. Shifu did tell you something in the end. Do you also know who created it?"

Lanfen stared at his face and pointed at him, knowing that his silence was enough for her to say that he didn't know about it.

"Yes, that's right! One of the most powerful artifacts that allowed its user to cross every natural bound has been created by you!"

"If you have something this strong why even bother to bring me here?"

"For someone who loves to learn you know very little. It got destroyed when they tried to seal one of the first portals, but I have a feeling that it's a lie! Ming hid it somewhere and our first objective is to find where it's been hidden!"

"I don't know anything though. If you kidnapped me for this reason then I have no idea how I can help…"

The wagon stopped again, "You think I didn't know that? Give me some credit. I planned everything already!" Lanfen opened the door and jumped outside. "Let's continue inside the lab. I'd like to be alone with you since too many eyes are on us here…"

Leo never felt comfortable since he stepped foot inside this town, but her words conveyed he's not the only one.

The human sticked close to the lioness and moved towards the biggest building in the city. While walking he did notice that everyone was looking at them. They were pretending to do daily activities, but auras of doubt and skepticism radiated all around the place. For a while, the two guards Lanfen carried around weren't as scary as this place and its people.

Not to mention the big white skyscraper...

"Wait, what? This doesn't make any sense…"

"You mean how could we even hide this?" She giggled, "The guards all around the town protect the entire city. They not only cover for us, but also make sure no one would discover us by accident. That would be unfortunate and we would be forced to eliminate them, well…at least we would be able to eat something!" She caressed her stomach. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that…"

Lanfen exhaled a sigh of relief as they finally walked inside the big building. "Time to climb a bit!"

"Your lab is on the fifth floor, Lanfen. Shouldn't we take the elevator?" Jun questioned with worry.

"Nah-ah!" She replied, wagging her finger to emphasize her point. "I want him to see just a small fraction of what we have here. That's the least I can do for him…"

Leo was stunned. There was a huge difference, even more than thought! They pushed a button on the wall and turned the light on. They had electricity, something that shouldn't be here yet. They also mentioned an elevator. He wondered if that as well was powered by electricity. Other than that, nothing weirder appeared. It felt more like a big office than a lab.

There were a couple of lions at the entrance. They quickly exchanged some words with Lanfen and let everyone go through a long hallway. They didn't meet anyone else, just countless doors that were ignored until they reached a spiral staircase decorated with a beautiful dragon at the bottom.

"What's inside those doors?" Leo asked.

"Scientists that are working on what the ancient have left behind. We know we can get a lot more, but our progression is awful. I guess that's the reason why your world needed to develop for centuries in order to reach that level of intelligence. We're skipping lots of stages here…"

"The ancient? I'm trying really hard to follow you, but most of the time what you're saying doesn't make any sense…"

"My answers will make sense later, now let me find my room…" Lanfen muttered, stopping all the lions.

"Shouldn't you know about your own room?" The human asked again, "I guess you don't use the same one every time."

"Lanfen, that room is-"

"Yes, of course I know. That's why I'm using it," she hushed Jun, took Leo's paw and dragged him inside.

"I can't see anything in here…" Leo complained, "Could you- thanks."

The room was stuffed with shelves and closets of every kind and shape, making the place look unnatural and poorly designed. In the middle of the room was one white table with a few chairs of the same color surrounded it.

There was a different feeling inside that room, something he couldn't quite understand. The lions weren't stupid enough to create a room with such a terrible design.

"What are you doing standing there? Go on; grab a seat!" Lanfen exhorted as she started looking for something around the place.

The more he looked at it, the more he felt like this room was made like this on purpose.

"Ha! Found it!" Lanfen cried out, satisfied, holding some sort of remote. "Now, let me show you the true colors of this room."

"The…true colors?" He reluctantly repeated, even if he already sensed the mystery hidden within this place.

The lioness pressed something on that controller and the entire layout changed. The shelves and the closets moved all around the place, switching, disappearing or getting sucked inside the wall.

Monitors that showed different locations in China appeared, weird guns hung on the walls, and a huge map covered what space was left in the room. Some shelves and closets remained, but these ones were matching the design of that white and modern-looking room.

"Wow…that's incredible."

"I know. It was really hard to replicate what we discovered from your world, you know? We kept trying and trying and trying, but in the end it was worth it."

Lanfen took a book from a shelf and a weirdly shaped gun before sitting down next to him. "This book contains the summary of the first two dimensional wars. You can give it a look through later. You're also allowed to share non-lion information you obtain from it."

"That's amazing! Is there really everything inside?"

"Well…don't expect too many details, but you'll have a good idea of what happened and why you are here now."

"That too?! Is there really a reason?!"

"I mean we don't know for certain; it's a theory. The book itself will say so, but I'm sure it's a correct assumption. Otherwise this isn't going to happen a third time."

"What's the other thing for?" Leo pointed at the gun.

The lioness sighed as if overwhelmed by sadness, "There's something I must do and it may hurt." She held the gun towards the human.

"H-hey! What are you doing?! Are you going to kill me?!"

"What? No! This gun can't kill."

"..."

"But it will hurt you for a while. Depends how strongly your chi will react to it."

"What are you saying?! I-I don't understand!"

"I'm going to bring Ming back."

Lanfen overcame her hesitation and shot him with her gun.


	29. Rehabilitation Chapter 3, P6

**This is the longest chapter I've ever written! Woho! I hope you'll like it because from this point onward things will reach the climax. Oh btw! More or less I'm updating every two weeks, if you didn't notice, now you know! I'll try to keep the schedule up, see you soon!**

* * *

"Mantis, what I'm going to ask of you is dangerous. I can't predict what the lions may do to you, but you're the only who can do this."

"Po, this is my job. We all work hard to protect this place and our friends. I'll do it. Leo's not going to sacrifice himself under my watch. Tell me your plan."

"When the lions come to trade, I want you to hide inside Leo."

"They will find me, Po. They're not that stupid."

"That's exactly it. I want you to be bait, to make them believe they crushed our plan to lower their defences. If it goes well, look for Fung and Gahri and get out of there. Try to meet Emily and Mark to share with them everything you may discover inside."

"I see, that's what you had in mind, huh? Impressive. I'll make this work for sure. Trust me."

With this in mind, Mantis stealthily left before Leo and Lanfen entered the room. Instead of following the duo, the guards stood at the entrance. Quickly, the insect hid. He preferred to start looking around, wanting to be found in a realistic way and not just by easily staying in front of them.

From what the spy could observe, this skyscraper was the only particular building in the base. Knowing the rapid rate that the lions discovered and built technology, this meant that this must've been a small village closest to the Valley of Peace. There's no doubt that Fung and Gahri are still here, but he couldn't know if they were alive or not.

First…

Second…

Third…

Fourth…

Fifth...

Mantis climbed floor after floor after floor. Everything looked the same making it seem endless! He couldn't check every single room, nor look around blindly! Nobody had time for inaccurate data. He needed to find information using another method...or another source.

He patiently waited for someone to show up alone in the hallway. After five minutes, a lion wearing glasses and dressed in a white coat exited a room and headed towards the staircase. Confident that no one was around, he jumped on the lion, kicking him to the floor.

"H-HEY WHAT ARE YOU-?!"

"Say one more word and your head will start to roll on its own," Mantis threatened, maneuvering sharp scythes towards his neck.

"..." The lion, feeling the bug's weapon slowly slice his skin, obeyed.

"Good. Now tell me where I can find the crocodiles," Mantis ordered.

"The crocodiles?"

"The ones Shirong kidnapped."

"Oh, I see. This time they took some crocodiles."

"Where are they?"

"I don't know."

"And you expect me to believe that? I'm going to kill you right here, right now if you don't tell me something useful!" He pressed his scythes deeper, trying to scare him enough to force the secrets out.

"Only Jun, Shirong, and their assistants know where that place is! I'm not lying! They believe we may go there to take more than we should," he honestly replied, panicked at the feeling of blood.

"You're disgusting, just like your kind. How could you eat another person as if it's nothing?"

"Let me go! I told you what I know."

"Do you think I'm stupid? As soon as I let you go you'll warn the others. I'm not going to take that risk."

"No, please don't do anything reckless. I won't-"

"Mantis, let that lion go."

Mantis didn't need to turn around to recognize who had spoken. The lion had distracted him enough and he didn't notice Shirong approaching them until now.

"Don't take another step or I'll kill him," he said, showing him how much the lion was wounded already with blood leaking from the cut he made.

"H-Help me!" The lion tried to yell, but their voice didn't come out as strong as he thought.

"You touched his vocal cord while talking to him and temporarily disabled them to secure yourself. Clever move," the lion complimented, but didn't stop walking closer.

"Are you listening? I'm going to do it. I'll cut him in two."

"Look at you. Blackmailing me using a hostage. Are you sure I am the villain here?" The lion reached them and ducked down to look at Mantis in the eyes. "I don't care if you kill him or not. There's also a high chance that you won't do it because you won't ruin the plan Po worked so hard on."

"Po was right then, you know everything."

"Indeed, you're correct. I heard everything he said and I must admit that his idea is absolutely flawless. It was beautiful how well you all acted! It was a truly nice performance. Nobody would ever predict that Tigress could fake such feelings. I cannot believe someone such as him created such an ingenious plan. It was so good that I decided to see how far he could go."

"You're a spoiled kid who enjoys toying with people."

"I love that light in your eyes. It is the same flame I tried to extinguish from Po's eyes as well. Please, stop looking at me like that or I could do something we'll both regret."

"I'm getting sick of your games. Are you going to do something or not?"

"On the first floor there's a bookcase. It may look like some useful decoration where we store our knowledge, but behind it you'll find the entrance for the basement."

"You're so arrogant if you believe I will blindly follow your advice and move like a puppet in your paws."

"I think you will even if that makes you pissed. Unlike Po, you're a veteran warrior. You understand when you won't stand a chance against your enemy, that's why there are hostages. Sacrifices are necessary for us to proceed and evolve, so take his life if you think it's worth doing."

"You asshole…"

Filled with rage, Mantis released the lion and sprinted towards the staircase.

"Wise choice my friend. I'm not getting in your way; I'm your ally for now. I need to see you all grow and become stronger. I must understand why! Why Ming preferred to turn trash into diamonds instead of exploiting a diamond born like that from the start," he vented, the passion in his eyes growing brighter with each statement. "Isn't it sad? I have to give up my long awaited dinner to find the answers I'm looking for, but worry not. I have a replacement."

Shirong grinned, prowling towards the wounded lion. "I've always wondered what a lion tasted like."

The lion trembled with fear as the general turned him into stone.

"Shirong, what are you doing?" Jun inquired, arriving just in time to spot him holding the stone.

"Oh, so you've come to check on me. My older sister certainly cares about my well being." He smiled, placing his new trophy inside a pocket.

"You know how much I hate you calling me that. Our blood relationship must not interfere when we're working."

"I know, I know. I wanted to ease the atmosphere since I sensed that you were upset."

"Yes, I need to know what you're plotting. I'm getting tired of covering for your filthy actions."

"Do I really have to? You definitely aren't stupid. Your trait is wisdom, mine is courage. You have the power to outsmart me. You're just avoiding the truth because family, as much as you deny it, matters to you."

The lion turned his back to her and headed towards the staircase.

"...We both know what consequences your path will bring to you, yet you're still going? Alone you can surely survive, yet I'm worried about the beast you're hiding within you."

Shirong froze, not expecting such an honest confession. He knew the risks, but what hurt the most was to harm the ones around him, not himself.

"Let's go back to where we should be, Jun. We'll arouse suspicion if we stay away too long."

Jun stared at his retreating back. Her facade was falling apart. Her cold attitude was fading because of the rapidly increasing worries she carried for her brother.

* * *

Mantis was irritated. Why did he bend and follow that weirdo's plan? He only wished to prove him wrong; to show him that he's nothing but a freak.

In the end, he found the secret door, broke the lock and moved inside.

As soon as he walked in the awful scent of death hit him with the full force of a cannonball to a ship. No wonder it was locked!

This section of the building wasn't as modern-looking as the rest of the place and it wasn't using those weird things that created light. Lighted torches hanging from the wall cleared the path from darkness, but he wasn't ready for what, or rather who, would greet him next.

"What…the…fuck…?"

Countless heads of every kind, size and shape appeared one after another as he continued deeper into the building. What made it worse was that the heads beside each torch served as trophies; prideful decorations on the wall.

The bug felt like he could…hear them. Their last moments imprinted in them just before being cruelly forced from their mortal body; their screams, fear, and tears... Were they all recent? He couldn't say. The lions must have discovered some way to preserve the bodies.

"...How long has this been going on? How many people died because of them?"

He's a warrior. Someone used to seeing death, blood, and corpses. Everyone has their own ghosts of the past, so this shouldn't have touched him, but…he hated this. He wanted to leave as fast as possible.

Upon perusing through each specimen, he found that they really had retrieved every animal on the planet. Nothing escaped them; not even his, nor his friends' species were spared. It was…a horrible sight, and something that he would never forget.

He had yet to see the worst. The hallway led him into a small room with another staircase. Additionally, in between the entrance and the staircase lie a gruesome sight in which Mantis wished he could permanently delete from his mind.

A fresh victim, a poor, disassembled black pig, laid upon the table.. No traces of blood remained; it must've been a clean job.

"I'm sorry… It shouldn't have ended this way."

As he jumped on the table he noticed the stones behind the head. Their odd position looked as though they've been put here on purpose for someone to find them; to make them look at everything in this place beforehand. Mantis preferred not exploring further and was glad he didn't need to go deeper. A trash can stuffed with bones was enough to finally urge him out of there.

In conclusion, Mantis had completed his mission, or at least half of it. It seemed way too easy, but it wasn't the right time or place to think about it. Now be had to follow the plan and meet with the others… He took a small piece of a rope and gathered the stones around his body. His chi shaped them into a smaller version to match his size, and then he headed out.

* * *

Everything was spinning. He fell to the floor, his vision blurry and entire body burning. The pain was unbearable, yet something kept him there, awake. Leo should have fainted, but he didn't.

A light he assumed came from the stone around his neck and not his body engulfed him completely. Oddly enough, said light moved on its own. Then he heard his necklace breaking...

What happened later was impossible to understand.

"YES! IT'S WORKING! I'M A GENIUS. I TRULY AM HER SUCCESSOR. LANFEN ZHU, GRANDDAUGHTER OF MING ZHU, I HAVE INHERITED HIS MENTAL ABILITIES AND DEVELOPED THEM EVEN FURTHER!" She screamed, ending her enthusiastic speech with a laugh.

The lion on the floor unconditionally switched back to his human form, unable to hold it.

"H-Help…" He whispered.

"Shut up and don't ruin my moment please. I've checked your status already; you won't die. I mean…that's what matters right?"

She ignored him and kept staring at the brightly glowing stone now flying in the air, generating an insane amount of energy.

The stone cracked, releasing a weird gas as a white cloud hid the stone. It started to shape into a body, often changing colors. It was coming back to life!

"This is beautiful…" She breathed out with excitement, "I can't wait to register this success in our database! I can already see it; Me, Lanfen Zhu, created the perfect prototype of a reviver gun to fully restore the damaged survivors and ancient fighters of the first and second dimensional war."

As she kept blabbering about stuff that Leo couldn't understand someone gently lifted him up.

"Hey, can you hear me? It seems like the gun completely weakened your body and mind, limiting yourself to the point where even actions as basic as breathing can cause you harm. This is awful! I'll tend to your health right this moment."

It was a voice he had never heard until now, yet it felt familiar and comforting. It was weird…

"Oh. My. God. Ming Zhu! You're back!" The lioness screamed, finally realizing that the stone, the cloud, and all of that weird stuff was gone with another lion appearing in their place. "We have an urgent matter to attend to, so stop wasting your time on that shell you used to preserve yourself."

The lion ignored her and assisted his friend.

"Okay, I'll put you back on the chair and then heal the wounds Lanfen inflicted upon you."

"Heal him? Are you kidding me? There's no way to heal that kind of damage. I've literally drained most of his chi. It's a miracle he's conscious! My prediction was wrong and he appeared to be stronger than I thought he would be, but…it doesn't matter."

"It…doesn't matter..? Yes, of course. For someone like you it wouldn't matter, but I care! Everyone is just as important as you are. There's no way I will let him die in my place!"

The lion charged his chi and quickly injected it into Leo, to no avail.

"You should know better than this. You and the Goblet of Courage discovered this power. Why bother?"

"Is that what you call my friends? You're horrible, pointing at them as if they were objects."

"Listen, I may have something to fix him up. I didn't think I would be able to use it because he needed to withstand the hit. What a surprise that he actually did."

Lanfen searched through her drawer of stuff while Ming kept trying to heal Leo.

"Oh, there he is. This vial is still a test product so I'm not sure of its effects. If it actually helps, it may make things worse. I don't know. We usually don't experiment with dangerous items on lions. We kidnap people and use them as lab rats."

"...I see. Now everything makes sense."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You did predict this outcome. You're just acting. You want the God's Eye from me."

A grin decorated her face."You're not just beautiful, you're also incredibly smart. Stop it! I can't fall in love with my own grandfather."

"I'm ashamed we're blood related. Thinking about it truly disgusts me."

"Oh come on! You should feel proud of me. I obtained the highest role and I'm powerful; I can do anything I want."

"They're just using you because of your origins. When you stop working properly you'll be disposed of. I'm sure even now that you're doing what they want they look at you with spite."

"Yes, that is the truth. I guess I'll have to assume that nothing changed and they've always been doing this."

Lanfen breathed a deep sigh. Remembering the hate killed her enthusiasm. "Just…heal him. You'll have to cooperate anyway. I lost my will to play…"

The lion caught the vial as she threw it at him. "Hey, open your mouth! This will save you," Ming safely reassured him, convincing the human to trust what he was saying.

After a few seconds the effects of the liquid instantly appeared. Leo's breathing went back to its normal pace, his body and vision unlocked and the blurry effect went away.

"Y-You are…me?" The human commented as he weakly raised his finger, pointing at him.

He smiled, showing off his sharp teeth. "Affirmative! We share a special bond, something that goes beyond the usual family/blood stuff."

Leo observed him thoroughly, curious to see the one living within himself.

Ming did look different from him when he shapeshifted into an animal. He was dressed in a blue shirt and black pants. From his red mane two small braids decorated his face, highlighting his light blue eye…

"You…you have only one eye," the human pointed out.

"Oh…yes, it's been a while since someone reminded me about it. I almost forgot."

It wasn't empty. His left eye was just a white orb without any pupil. All around the eye socket, countless scars marked the entire area, as if someone had dug into that place and wounded him good.

"I-I see…" The boy reluctantly replied.

Ming stepped back and went silent, staring at the human.

"Are you alright?"

"Do excuse me, I was just thinking. I have lots of questions that must be answered, but there is limited time! Like…can you shapeshift now? The stone is gone. How will the universe react? Technically we were meant to be one existence, but now I'm standing right here with you! Surely this will cause a reaction: something not meant to happen, or worse, exist. I can't come up with a plan to protect ourselves in case that monster will take advantage of th-"

Ming's rambling was abruptly interrupted by a terrible sound that bombarded the entire room.

"...What now?" Lanfen commented while heading for the door.

The lioness opened the door to find her guards looking back at her, making her mood worse.

"I hope it's something important. I didn't choose a soundproof room to be disturbed over trivial matters."

"I deeply apologize for the trouble, but we have a report labeled code red…" Jun explained staring down, ashamed of the terrible news she had to carry.

"Red codes never show up because they mean someone THAT IS NOT A LION is inside the village. Tell me: how is that even possible?"

When it was clear that Jun couldn't reply to her question, Lanfen instantly rushed towards the human.

"What did you do?" She asked, uncharacteristically kind. "I was very clear that I didn't want any surprises. This is a serious matter we must take care of! Do you have any idea what's going to happen?! No, of course you don't! You just need to pursue your worthless sense of justice and mess with everyone."

She stomped away from them, went to her desk and pressed some buttons that caused a big screen to appear.

"This is a world map, but you probably know this." She pressed another button and countless red dots filled most of the screen. "Five hundred years ago on this very day, Ming and his group broke the natural order and cracked the void causing two demigods to show up in our world just to overwhelm it with darkness. AND NOW, AFTER ALL THIS TIME, ANOTHER, STRONGER, ENEMY WILL DO THE SAME, WORSE THAN BEFORE! EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD THESE CRACKS WILL SHOW UP AND END OUR LIVES."

She spouted everything in one, short, kinda inaccurate period, forcing her to take a break in order to breathe.

"That's why I need the God's Eye to complete our plan. We don't have much time left and-"

"Couldn't you just have told us in advance…?" The human questioned naively.

"Oh yes. Hey, would you like to experience a near death condition to bring back the long lost version of yourself? We're a group of cannibals that society will never accept and people easily trust us because in the past we always did what was best for us, ignoring everything else. Yeah, sure! Why didn't I think of that? I really wonder."

"It was a humble question, Lanfen. You don't need to be a bitch about it," Ming commented.

"Jun, what are you waiting for?" She questioned, noticing her guards still frozen in place. "Find these intruders and follow the standard code. If they're humans don't you dare touch them. Wait with them in the isolation room."

"I-Isolation room?" Leo repeated, scared. "Don't hurt them!"

"I'M NOT. WE NEED TO GO THERE LATER AS WELL SO SHUT UP."

Everyone backed off a little, except for Ming Zhu. "Your behavior at the moment is deplorable. For a lion to appear like this is… absolutely dishonorable."

She closed the door, ignoring her guards that were still standing outside. "I will calm down soon. First, the artifact."

"Unfortunately, it can't be helped. I do not like ruining someone else's work though." He sighed as a tremendous amount of energy started to gather around his body. It was a shiny golden light that instantly turned into a white aura.

"I call upon the mythical power of the God's Eye, please listen to my prayer and awaken from your long lost sleep. It is I, Ming Zhu, Goblet of Wisdom, that calls you back from your slumber."

In a solemn manner he channeled his aura away through the wall. The energy disappeared in a heartbeat.

"What was that?!" Leo gasped.

"True chi," he replied nonchalantly. "But you can also call it Yang."

"Okay…and everything else you just said?!"

"Slow down kid. If I start explaining everything you don't know we'll never finish." The lion smiled, wrapping an arm around the boy. "Worry not. I will gladly teach you and the others everything as soon as this ordeal is gone."

"I don't like repeating myself, but I must insist," Lanfen intervened, "Where is the God's Eye?"

"Not here, of course."

"Can you bring it here then?"

"That's what I did. I'm waiting for it."

* * *

Po, Tigress and the remaining warriors left behind were explaining to their master what he missed and where the two humans went.

"Po, while I do understand your noble intent to save and protect everyone, I can't approve the decision you all have taken," Shifu admitted, "This entire matter is bigger than us and we shouldn't have meddled with it."

"What are you saying?! Are you actually listening to yourself? I don't abandon anyone. That is out of the question," Po rejected.

"Po…" He sighed, "I brought dishonor to us all because of my rushed judgment. I'm trying to do the right thing but that right thing sometimes doesn't look right."

"The right thing is to save everyone!" He shouted, "We don't care about anything else. You- You don't understand. You weren't there. You didn't see Gahri's eyes, his expression, Fung's state, nor did you hear what he told me. The feeling of being useless even in the one thing I believed in wasn't enough to protect the things I love…"

"You're not the only one who feels that way, Po," Simon commented, "Look around. Everyone, Shifu included, has that same thing written all over their faces. They've already stated their limits and they feel bad enough for this. You're just being selfish right now."

"Simon!" Tigress called him back, knowing that he was going to say more.

The crocodile backed off, but his words had already hit the mark on the panda.

"...Am I?"

"You're doing what you believe is the correct choice, Po. I've supported it; we all have. We wanted to believe until the end that we could've done something," the feline explained, looking at the mountains.

"I-I still believe!" Viper shouted, "I know how he feels and if Emily, Mark, Leo and Mantis decided to go they must've believed in him as well! I won't give up."

"She's right. I have a bad feeling, but I don't care. If I'm not alone I will face everything with you all by my side," Monkey exclaimed.

"M-Me too!" Fulvio shyly chimed in, "I wanna help too, if that's alright."

"See? If you're selfish, then we all are." Tigress smiled.

"Just because I said that doesn't mean I'll watch you fight without doing anything," the crocodile muttered. "It would piss me off even more."

In that moment a white light lured everyone's attention. Not far away from them something was reacting.

"What now?" Fulvio trembled in fear.

"If I remember correctly the point where this energy is coming from is…"

"The Sacred Peachtree of Heavenly Wisdom," Shifu exclaimed, "It does make sense after all."

They didn't question the situation any further and rushed over to check what was happening; however, someone knew everything already.

"What's wrong the tree, Master?" Viper questioned slithering next to the shining tree.

"Fulvio, please touch the tree," Shifu ordered.

"M-Me?" The panda pointed at himself as soon as everyone else moved away to reveal the human.

Fulvio stepped closer and looked around to have some reassurance. He didn't feel safe. A chilling shudder raked down his spine, but in the end he raised his paw and touched the wood. Nothing weird or different, apparently. The tree was cold and that old skin of his could've stung if not handled with care… That is until he felt something moving inside the tree.

It touched him. Something round and smooth was cuddling the inside of his paw, but as soon as he tried to pull away the opposite happened.

"HELP!" The panda yelled, grabbing his arm with the other one. The tree was sucking him inside and it was quite strong!

Po wrapped around Fulvio to slow him down as Tigress grabbed them both and started to pull. Afterwards, everyone chained together to combat the weird and mysterious strength.

"I never imagined that we would end up fighting against a tree!" Monkey complained.

"It's not the tree!" Fulvio explained, "There's something inside!"

He wasn't able to say more because they triumphed over the odd energy. Fulvio and Po rolled away while the others stared in awe at the thing that showed up, previously hidden inside the peachtree.

"You okay?" Po asked as he helped his friend stand up.

"Yeah, I am…"

The white sphere floated in the air, slowly moving amongst the group before coming to a stop right in front of Fulvio as if looking purposely for him.

"Is that what I think it is?" Tigress questioned, turning towards Shifu.

"Yes, this is, without any doubt, the God's Eye," Shifu confirmed.

"I was imagining it would look different…" Po mused, looking all around the artifact to find nothing but a white, round empty sphere. "Y'know, you called it God's Eye…"

Fulvio touched it with his finger, causing it to activate.

"Yeah, that's what I imagined it to be!" Po repeated when a huge light blue pupil appeared right in the center of the sphere when his friend touched it.

"Basically it's a giant eyeball…" Simon grunted.

"It creeps me out a bit." Viper looked away. "Please make that thing stop. I feel like it's staring at me."

The artifact lurked around observing every face, yet it seemed to not care except for one person, making its way closer to him. The panda froze in place, not knowing how to react. He just let the sphere do its own thing until it touched his forehead.

His vision went white. Countless images flew past one another in his mind. One after another were printed inside his memories as if he knew about them all along. They were mixed up, nonsensical and headache-inducing! Past, present and future were all being revealed and hidden at the same time right in front of him.

"MING! NO! DON'T DO IT! THIS ISN'T WORTH IT."

"...You said you were going to help me."

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO SACRIFICE YOUR EYES IN ORDER TO DO IT."

"This is the price they're asking. I'm sorry."

"NO! I WON'T LET YOU."

…Voices of strangers and discussions on topics he never heard of before filled his head. He regained consciousness on the ground with Po just beneath him.

"He's waking up!" Po shouted.

"Hey, you okay? You suddenly lost it and fell…" Viper recounted.

"It would be bad if something happens to you now," Monkey crossed his arms. "Mantis' not here you know…"

"Where is it?" Fulvio turned around. "I need to understand…"

"The God's Eye is gone." Shifu explained, "Someone called it somewhere and it took off on his own."

"I tried to capture it, but it literally went through my body like a ghost," Tigress added.

"It's certainly an interesting behavior." Shifu walked towards him. "The God's Eye should've instantly headed towards the one who summoned it, yet…it decided on its own to wait for you. What did it show you?"

The panda patted his head. "It was…confusing. I heard and saw different things, like, Nova talking with someone… He called him Ming. They were talking about a sacrifice. He wanted to remove his own eyes to…don't tell me that they were named this way because-"

"We never knew for certain. Lots of documents disappeared and I couldn't assume something this dangerous, but there was a possibility."

"Oh yeah…there's more. I saw our friends. They were all closed inside a room, but…it was dark so I couldn't see clearly, but I totally saw something shining in that place."

"THE STONES! DID THEY GET THEM?!" Po shouted in awe.

"I-I'm not sure, sorry! Maybe? My mind is still messed up... It was so weird, I can't even describe the feeling…" Fulvio started to stare at the sky while talking.

"Is something wrong with the weather?" Tigress asked.

"I felt like it changed color… Purple? My head hurts. I may be hallucinating."

"First time experience with the power of that ancient artifact can be quite overwhelming," Shifu stated, leading the way towards the palace. "You should sit and take a rest. Maybe the memories it offered to you will come back."

"Alright."

* * *

Lanfen furiously moved across the room, looking through notebooks, writing down sentences and tapping on the screen.

Leo tried to shapeshift, trying to satisfy the curiosity of both, but failed.

"I need to ask the God's Eye about this. It is an ability you're not allowed to lose…" Ming scratched his mane, frustrated.

"Maybe I need time? More practice? Don't forget that every time I was in a fight I felt like someone was, indeed, moving me around."

"True. We were able to help you out even in that comatose situation. It is quite useful to be able to listen and see from your perspective, but I would've never predicted that I would be able to stand once again…"

As Leo opened his mouth to speak something moved through the wall, and then his body before disappearing inside Ming's.

"AH! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" He shouted, turning around.

"It's nothing. The God's Eye finally arrived! It took some time though. I wonder what happened." The lion tilted his head, causing the boy to freak out even more.

"Wait… You have two eyes again?"

"Uhm? That's normal. When I called the God's Eye I asked it to reunite with me, but it is only temporary," Ming explained, moving the artifact outside and inside his body consecutively, making his left eye disappear and reappear over and over again.

"Why can you even do this?! Hearing you talk about it so casually is confusing…"

"He performed an ancient ritual and sacrificed a part of his body to obtain it. That's not something someone would do everyday," Lanfen chimed in with pride. "I wanted to see the moment where you had to remove your eye with those paws of yours. How did you feel? You must've been really tough if you didn't lose consciousness due to shock, but…you know, something doesn't add up."

"This is not the time to talk about my past and my mistakes, Lanfen."

"I know, I know. Use that thing of yours and tell me."

Ming placed the sphere inside his body, gently laid his paws on his head and held tight. After a few seconds both of his eyes turned white and the fur all over his body started to dance to a phantom breeze.

"...He's taking too long," Leo uncomfortably said, "Looking at him like that makes me feel uneasy."

"He may have asked multiple questions at once," Lanfen replied, "We have some records from people who experienced it first hand and it usually takes a few seconds to receive a satisfying answer from the artifact."

"I was wondering this for a while, but…if this thing can tell you everything you wish for can't he just tell us how to win over this evil guy?"

"Yes, you can, but you'll die. Death will get you before you can actually have the time to share what the God's Eye revealed to you."

"D-Die?!"

"Don't tell me you believed that you could ask anything you wanted to a tool that basically offers you unlimited knowledge and offer nothing in return!"

"Then what does it ask?"

"It will take part of your chi as sacrifice as a requirement to access to its overwhelming power. The amount depends on how valuable the information you seek is. That is why you can't just ask that. I believe even the one that created it is under this rule, or maybe he can slightly alter this rule. It is something only Ming himself can answer for you."

As she finished sharing what she learned from her history books, Ming woke up. His face looked extremely tired as he deeply inhaled to fill his lungs as much as possible.

"You look like you overdid it. How many questions did you ask?"

"A-A few…"

"You should be careful you know. You just got back your life, don't throw it away…"

"I'm happy that you're concerned about me, but there's no other option. We have to rely on this power if we wish to stop his plan…"

"So? What did you learn?" Lanfen interrupted them.

"We have one hour. I heard there's something on the rooftop that can work quite well but it's damaged, is it not? An old prototype perhaps?"

"Are you talking about the skyscratcher? I created that thing a long time ago to clear the sky from the annoying clouds that stopped me from looking at the sky… That's odd. Is that thing going to work?"

"It needs some tinkering by me and you. The basic function is there. Only a laser can make your plan work right now. We can use the artifact as a power source to amplify its potential. If we rush, we may finish just in time."

"Working together, huh? This pumps me up! You have no idea!" Lanfen shouted, opening the door. "Ah… I forgot I sent them off. Not a big deal I guess…"

Lanfen walked back inside through drawers of weird things and objects until she stopped, staring at an old red case.

"Oh my god I remember this! My very first toolbox!" She checked inside and then continued with a satisfied smile. "Yeah we can work with this for now. TO THE ELEVATOR!" Lanfen yelled, excited, pointing at the entrance.

Ming stood up and tried to walk, but stumbled down. "Oh, really? I can't believe the artifact weakened me this much…"

The lion suddenly interrupted himself when the human snuck under him and lifted him up by the shoulder. "It's alright. I have you."

"I-I can walk! I'm fine!" Ming uselessly complained, "Ugh… Alright. Just for a while, okay?"

The lioness headed outside, showing the way to the elevator. Leo snatched one of the books the lions have written on this entire matter before following shortly after.

"You know…with this level of technology you could have, just saying, made it bigger."

Leo remarked as they stopped in front of the open doors of a small elevator.

"It can easily lift four people, average size, as written on the small information panel above the glass."

"That isn't the point I am trying to make. Ever heard of personal space? Getting embarrassed while stuck in a close space with strangers sounds appealing?"

"We're a group of people that knows each other perfectly, maybe too much if I can say my opinion. There's no such thing."

Leo grunted, carrying his friend inside first. Lanfen followed, pushing them inside in an uncomfortable position.

"...I hate this so much."

"Oh, you're not the only one who hates it. This entire place makes me feel awful."

"Shut up you two. I need to talk here."

Lanfen pressed the button with thirty-five, the highest floor, written on it, then a button with a speaker drawn on it.

"May I help you?" A feminine voice spoke when she pressed it.

"It is me, Lanfen. I'd like to receive a report about the red code. I hope this situation has been handled with care. I'll be on the roof. Please send me General Jun as soon as possible."

"The red code has been resolved and the intruders taken care of. We followed the instructions you gave us. I'll be sending the general."

"Thank you."

Another sound followed her words, signaling that the transmission was over and the elevator started to climb its way up to the top.

"Ming, what else did you ask?" Leo questioned.

"I wanted to know more about the situation we were currently in. I requested some info on you, me and other matters. I can't really explain right now since it would be even more confusing. You don't know how chi works, how to use it, nor its potential. I'd love to tell you everything, but I can't-"

"We have arrived," Lanfen cut him off while the doors opened, showing black, cloudy weather.

"Weird. I remember it being sunny this morning. There were no signs of such a terrible storm coming," Leo pointed out.

"Because this is no normal weather. This is an omen, a signal." She raised her paw at the weird machine in the corner. "That's the thing. Bring him there."

Leo gently lowered Ming next to the machine while observing the barren location. Other than the machine, the rooftop was empty. They weren't really into decorations. For a few seconds the machine felt more like a small tower placed there as their flag. It was completely blue and the sharp top must've been the place where the laser starts. It points in only one direction, up to the sky.

"How old is that thing?" The human asked, seeing a huge wave of dust covering it.

"Seven?" She coughed, "I don't remember honestly. I grew bored of looking at the stars…"

"Why? The constellations are always so gorgeous; the meteors, shooting stars, the moon, everything just blends together perfectly in a harmony of colors and sounds." Ming picked up a wrench from the box, checking the insides.

"Let's just say I had other plans in my head at that time, I couldn't waste time on such a stupid hobby."

"So it is your hobby and you do like it."

"I just got nostalgic, that's all. I don't miss those times at all."

"It doesn't sound right. I think you actually wanted to come here more often."

Lanfen grasped the pinchers and cut some wires. "What would you know about me? You're just assuming things."

"I think I have some experience on my back," He smiled, pulling his face from the inside of the machine. "Hey Leo, I remember that you were good at tinkering with these things as well. Mind giving us a hand."

"Uh, yeah! Sure. I just didn't want to-"

"I don't trust the kid. He's young and we need this thing to work." The lioness cleaned the pinchers, putting them back in the box.

"I asked the artifact if Leo can successfully help us fixing it and it said yes. Do you have a rebuttal now?"

"Do you want the truth? It sounds like bullshit to me."

"And I believe you just don't like the idea of him touching your stuff."

"That's not true!"

"Then why are you raising your voice?"

"...You know what? Fine. If he messes it up and we all die because of him it'll be your responsibility. I don't care."

"Let's test him then," Ming said, inviting him to look inside. "What do you think we're doing first?"

"Well… I would've checked if the machine works, but-"

"It doesn't."

"Don't interrupt him."

"Then you're trying to find what the problem is inside."

"I already found it." Ming moved him away and turned on the machine. A small, thin, red laser generated from the top. "Now what's the next step?"

"You mentioned you wanted to add a better power supply by using the God's Eye itself, so I'm guessing you're trying to optimize the space inside. I can see that the artifact fits perfectly in here; there's no need to create a new section."

"Amateur."

"That's not true. It was a good catch."

"It sure was."

They all kept chatting while working, but the real reason was to make the job less painful, to ease the pressure. It was an important task nevertheless; it needed focus and mechanical knowledge.

"Lanfen, I'm here! Did you ask-"

"Yes, I did call for you." The lioness said as Jun stopped right in front of her. "Is something wrong? You look confused."

Lanfen hadn't realized that her vest was completely ruined and her fur was covered in oil.

"I would've preferred to show up when you were in a more professional condition."

"Oh…" She looked down at herself. "I see. It's been a while since I messed up myself this much."

"You had fun!" Ming called out from behind, "That's all."

"Yes, sure whatever." She rolled her eyes. "Listen, I need to check the isolation room and change my clothes. Do I have time for a shower?"

"Once we activate it you have…ten minutes. Make it quick," Ming answered.

"I see. With that out of the way, I want you to escort them to that room. Keep them safe. You know what I mean by that. I'll be there as soon as I rid of this stink clinging to my body…"

Jun could only nod as Lanfen hurried back inside trying to gain extra time.

"Leaving in such a crucial moment," Ming muttered, "Women always have such weird priorities."

"You shouldn't say that so casually," Leo sighed, cleaning the sweat from his face.

"We're done I believe," the lion remarked, stuffing the artifact inside. "I'm turning it on."

The small, thin, red laser was gone and replaced by a big, shining one. It went high up in the sky, penetrating the clouds so far that they couldn't see where it ended.

"Is this the effect you were hoping for?" Leo inquired.

"Yes, that's what the God's Eye showed me. Give it some time." Ming explained.

"You look like you wanna know. Just ask," Leo said, staring at the lioness general that was standing perfectly still.

"It is not my role. I've been assigned to you two as a bodyguard, no matter the situation," she declared.

"We've been working on a plan to prevent the void from cracking, basically by reinforcing it with this thing."

"I thought she said she couldn't ask you…" Ming chimed in.

"Yes, that's why I told her what I believe she wanted to know." Leo smiled at her.

"Oh…wait. Did you say reinforcing? It's not really that the plan."

Ming couldn't say more due to the machine suddenly breaking down, creating black fog. "Oh no… Save the artifact!"

"Calm down. It's going just like I saw it would." Ming quietly recovered the orb inside of him.

The sky suddenly changed color and turned purple.

"That's it. They're preparing themselves." The lion stood up and stumbled towards the guard. "Bring us to the isolation room."

"Yessir. This way. Let us take the elevator. The room is located on the first floor." She moved towards the inside.

"Do you need help?"

"No, Leo, I'm fine this time."

"I'm worried about my friends." Leo sighed, "I hope they didn't do anything to them."

"You'll meet them soon," Jun added. "We didn't do anything to them. They're perfectly healthy, just limited in their movement."

"That's odd. You really cared enough to clear his doubts?"

"He would have done the same, wouldn't he?"


	30. Meaningless choices Chapter 3, P7

**Truly sorry for the lack of update, irl stuff kicked in and I couldn't publish the chapter. I'll try to get back on my schedule again!**

* * *

Leo wanted to know. He hated being lead around like a baby by his mother, but he trusted Ming. His friend would've explained everything there is to the situation and its future.

His mind currently swam inside an ocean made of questions; mysteries missing their congruent halves the lion was key to connecting.

Despite this fact, the human couldn't stop overanalyzing the situation. What had happened so far? What would happen next? The looming darkness inside his brain seemed to materialize in the form of the isolation room in front of him.

"I've seen enough blackness today. Please tell me there is some light," the human sighed, waiting at the entrance.

"We can turn them on for a while, but when the fracture opens we must stay hidden. That means turning them off," Ming compromised.

"Please take a seat and avoid interacting too much with the others," Jun reminded, staying outside as the other two walked in.

"The fracture? What do you mean by that?" Leo asked, but the door closed behind them. Upon turning the lights on, the darkness disappeared to reveal a fox and a cheetah completely bound from their arms to their legs. Leo's priorities instantly changed. Muffled voices had most likely tried to get his attention sooner, but weren't loud enough.

"Mark stop shaking! I'm trying to help you!" Leo complained as the cheetah kept squirming, preventing him from loosening the knots binding his mouth shut.

"I'm dying, okay? This is awful! I'd rather die than continue feeling like this. Hurry and help me get rid of everything!" He cried out.

Instead, Leo went to the fox and did the same. It was easier because she was the complete opposite of the cheetah and surprisingly collaborative.

"Mark just shut up, okay? It's clear enough that this is all he can do. Keep talking and they will tie you up even worse than before," Emily threatened. "Alright Leo, update me on the situation."

"Well…I don't really know the details myself either. For now we can only wait and trust what they're doing."

"I don't like it."

"Me neither."

"I'm sorry. I believed I could've done it again, but they easily spotted us as soon as we stepped inside."

"It's fine since they won't hurt us. It was worth a shot. I'm still worried though…"

"He isn't here if that's what you're thinking."

"Yeah. We can't even ask because…well, you know."

"I wanted to give Po good news! I'm so upset…"

"I'll try to be positive. That's what we all should do. Things will turn out fine, even if…some sacrifices were made."

"No, I'm sure he did it. I'm not going to lose hope. Even if he failed, I'll exhort Lanfen to give me back the hostages no matter the cost."

"Stop blabbering about those two. You're getting annoying…"

Leo turned towards the voice and saw the lioness walk in drying her fur with a towel.

"Here, take these two and quit your crying justice speech." She threw them to the ground spitefully. "So dumb and naive…"

The human collected them with care and suppressed the desire to argue back.

After a few seconds the door opened again. As soon as Jun and Shirong walked in, the ground suddenly started to shake violently .

"Guess who's right on time," Shirong grinned, "Strong one, huh? Ming turn off the lights, you're the closest one."

Ming rolled his eyes, annoyed, and obeyed.

* * *

Mei Mei quietly tried to walk inside the hut Fulvio was resting in. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't easy to not make sounds when every step taken caused the floor to squeak.

"I-I'm sorry!" She blabbered upon noticing him yawn and start to wake up. "You can go back to sleep if you want…"

"It's fine," he replied, rubbing his eyes. "I had to go anyway…"

The feminine panda placed her backpack on the opposite bed he was sitting in and glanced at him.

"So…you're that panda with the white paws Grandma talked about." She examined him thoroughly, "Oh, your feet as well."

"Yeah." He looked back at her, noticing how lost she felt. It was a familiar feeling. "I understand, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…not only have you been asked to bring us some useful info about my past, you're also stuck in a situation that you know nothing about in the middle of a dangerous situation."

"Hey, it's alright. Don't you dare feel sorry for me. I'm not just a panda! I'm Mei Mei, best ribbon dancer in all China and sometimes a nunchaku fighter," she replied, shaking off all the bad vibes.

"Still…"

"Leave the explanations for later. You don't need to worry about me right now. Li Shan's message and what we found kinda told us something, but…" She shuffled through her bag, "We didn't really understand what it meant."

He took the old damaged book the panda handed to him just as a huge earthquake hit them.

"What is going on?!" Mei Mei commented, surprised.

They were sitting on the beds so the sudden impact didn't shake them that much, but it was still the strongest wave they've ever felt.

"FULVIO, MEI MEI, COME HERE QUICK!' Po's screams reached out to them before they tried to slowly move outside.

The panda waved to them and rushed inside the palace only to freeze in place when the sunny weather was replaced by dark purple clouds. It hit him deep, proving that what the artifact had showed him was the future.

"What are you doing? Move!" The lady panda grabbed his paw and dragged him inside the palace. They walked into the Hall of Heroes while Po and Tigress sealed the entrance, locking them all inside.

"I didn't realize...how heavy the door is…" Po complained as they finished.

"What's going on?" Fulvio asked, "Why is the sky purple, like, in that weird vision."

"That's what we all want to know," Monkey commented, "I thought you knew more about this."

"I don't, sorry. I just saw some weird images flash one after another and I think I'm forgetting some of them because they moved so fast…"

"You don't need to worry," Shifu chimed in. "This was meant to happen. Nothing wrong or unexpected is occurring. We just need to hide for a while until things quiet down."

"Master, forgive my arrogance, but why? Should you not tell us everything and take every precaution necessary?" Tigress questioned.

"Inside the void is a horrifying power that is capable of corrupting every being that falls under its influence. We have no clue if there is an actual antidote. Furthermore, the thing could have changed over time and became stronger. The only thing I know is that inside the palace we will be protected because of the Ancients' blessing."

"What if it doesn't go away? Will we be stuck here?"

"No, I don't think it will. That malevolent power is not chaotic. It is under someone's control and therefore would be pointless to keep us locked inside."

"Master, what is that supposed to mean? You're making it sound like it actually needs us to stop it."

"Yes, Tigress. That's what it wants. We're inside a trap; if we don't act, we lose and if we try we may lose as well."

"That is not going to happen!" Po argued back, "I didn't really follow the entire discussion, but we just need to stay away from this thing, right? Then what?"

"We find the portal that opened and seal it back again. If the curse is not connected to its source it will disappear and luckily heal the ones infected."

"I see," Po replied, scratching his chin, "Now that I think about it, how do you close them?"

"The humans have the power sealed inside their stones," Shifu explained, pointing at their necklaces.

Fulvio removed his necklace and picked up the stone. "I wish I could tell you I can do it…"

"Maybe you need to point it towards the portal?" Viper proposed.

"You could toss it inside instead," Monkey added.

"Or… the easiest way, just use your chi and your stone," Simon muttered, "Something will happen for sure."

"A-Alright. If you guys think one of these will work then I'll try to be positive."

"Just don't try the one Monkey proposed, okay?" Po stated, worried. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"And why is that?" Monkey asked, upset.

"They need those! It doesn't make sense for him to be standing outside and the stone inside!"

Monkey laughed sheepishly, glancing away from the deadpans his team sent toward him. "I guess that makes sense…"

The earthquake finally ceased and things quieted down for a while. Fulvio glanced around and noticed Rebecca standing on her own behind a pillar, causing another familiar feeling to swell within his soul. He wanted so much to help her out, but even if he tried there wasn't enough time.

"Hey Rebecca," the panda greeted walking closer.

"Oh… Hi. I see that you're better now, I'm glad."

"Do you feel lonely?"

She raised her head and looked at him. "That's an unexpected question."

"Maybe not lonely, but worried? If something's wrong you should think about opening up. I know it's hard, I've experienced it first hand. Sometimes words just don't come and you feel even worse when the people that wish to help you can't actually do it."

"Nothing wants to collaborate, yes. I see that you're in the same mess I am."

"When we first met it didn't feel like this at all though. What happened?"

"Let's just say I tried to pretend that I was someone else for a while. It worked at the beginning, but my nightmares came back…"

"I don't think you were pretending…"

She stared at him, wide eyes glistening with unshed tears. "How can you say that? You-you don't know me!"

"I don't need to know someone to understand if they're lying or not."

"Some people may get upset if you try to make these kind of assumptions."

"Are you upset?"

"...No, not really. I'm actually happy that you came to talk to me. I was a bit frightened."

"Why don't you take a look at this while we work to fix this mess?" Relieved, Fulvio handed over the old book.

"Doesn't that belong to you?"

"I can't really read it right now. I thought maybe you could give it a quick glance and tell me later what you discovered. Up for the challenge?"

"I'm not really the book type, but…at least I won't feel useless." The swan took the book from his paw. "Thanks. I wish I could do more…"

He opened his mouth to speak, but a huge sound reverberated throughout the room, alarming everyone.

"What… was that?"

"The door barely held it. Who can be that big to be able to break through?" Simon asked, perplexed.

"The curse," Shifu confirmed. "I'm glad you all decided to evacuate the city, otherwise every citizen right now could've been considered an enemy."

"We didn't really do it thinking of this outcome," Po replied caressing his head.

"What's the plan now? Should we open the door?" Monkey inquired.

Viper slithered next to him. "Isn't it too soon? Whatever that thing is just arrived."

"It should be fine now," Fulvio said. "I can't really say why; I just feel it is."

"Inside of you is someone who experienced it. You used the God's Eye and caught a glimpse of the future. If you believe it's safe then I will follow you and open the door," Tigress responded.

The feline, followed by Po, unlocked it and slowly opened the closed door.

They all walked outside and found the atmosphere worse than before. The air was heavy. It felt exhausting to just stand there and look around, everything felt like something had corroded it. The colors were darker, barely visible due to the purple sky's lack of brightness.

"This smell…" Fulvio's bear nose twitched. "It's weird. I feel like it's something I've already smelled."

"You and your alter ego share more than just a body; you're probably getting these instincts from him," Tigress explained.

"No, no this is different! I feel like I am the one who's experienced this already! I usually distinguish when it's his memory or mine and…this comes from me! I just can't remember when." Fulvio kept thinking about it while they walked further to investigate their surroundings.

"Seems like the curse—the majority of it at least—is gone. The curse has now blended in the air and will hurt us over time. Try to not waste too much stamina or lose consciousness otherwise you will be corrupted. We cannot let that happen," Shifu warned, looking down the Thousand Steps. "We should prepare to leave at once. Bamboo Forest is our destination."

* * *

The lions stepped outside, carrying the fox and the cheetah along. The situation wasn't different, just darker and corrupt because they were closer to the source.

"I thought we were preventing this from happening? If so, why is everything like this!?" Leo cried out.

"We are working on it, human. Our plan is going smoothly for now," Lanfen vaguely replied.

"I wanted to tell you that we couldn't stop this. It was too powerful to control and suppress. We decided that it was more manageable to move all the cracks in one place instead of everywhere in the world. We just need to reach the source and seal it manually with our chi," Ming explained.

"Oh…Okay then." The human coughed. "The air is terrible; feels like I'm breathing smoke."

"It's the curse of the void. Pull yourself together and endure it. We can't let it corrupt us. When I dove inside it was ten times worse."

"Ming, now we must part ways," Lanfen stated, "We have other plans and things to attend to."

"What are you scheming? Do you really think I'm so naive as to let you wander on your own? If we have a common objective what's the point of leaving?"

The lioness handed him a weird electronic device that looked like a radar. "This will help you. It senses and perceives distortions. The bigger they get the closer you will be to the portal."

"Lanfen."

"Ming, I am still the leader of my empire. I can't just leave without giving instructions to our kind. You know that I don't have the ability to close it as well. You don't need me at all. I already did my job and can entrust my survival to you, the humans, and these two silly idiots that believed they could fool us."

Lanfen giggled, led the way to the outside of their city and left them without another word.

"Ming it's alright. We have the stones and our friends. We will end this soon." Leo said.

"I-I know. There's something fishy here. I'm worried for Mantis."

"Who knows, he might be waiting for us somewhere. We must be positive here. It's important to not lose faith in our friends."

"Faith…sometimes you remind me of him."

Leo stared at him, catching some sort of nostalgic vibe. "Who are you referring to?"

"Oh…it's nothing. Let's go," he replied picking up the humans, "We can't set them free here, too close."

"Hurry up, my legs are itchy!" Mark whined.

Ming and Leo dropped the humans on the ground. Surrounded by nothing but bamboo trees, it was a decent place to free those unfair prisoners.

"OH MY GOD FINALLY!" The cheetah shouted, furiously scratching his legs. "Ahhh...better."

"Thank you Leo." She noticed that he wasn't in his animal form. "Why didn't you-and where is your stone?"

"Well…basically the stone came back to life and he's that lion right there."

"You called him Ming, right?" She grinned, "Is he a bookworm nerd like you?"

"What do you mean by that? I'm not a nerd!"

"I love how you're not arguing the bookworm part as well."

"That's not fair! You're baiting me!"

After their brief banter, both Leo and Emily shared with another what they've discovered so far, but Leo he had to limit himself. His hand started to burn every time he went too far with his speech.

Ming, on the other hand, was observing how the radar worked and how to use it to its fullest potential. When he turned it on some arrows appeared on the screen. Where they pointed alarmed him. The main function of this tool was to read corruptions, to be specific, the big ones. The lions sent us towards the source, but then again, why two of them?

"Ming? You look worried. What's wrong?"

The lion moved his face from the tool just to see the others staring at him.

"I'm sorry. I'm just skeptical about this situation and-"

The radar suddenly rang, one of the arrows moved to the opposite direction it was pointing.

"What…?"

"Is it broken?" Mark asked, "The arrow moved so quickly…"

"No, I don't think it's broken." Ming placed the radar in his paws.

The arrow firstly pointed in the direction they were before, where the lion laboratory was, and now…it points in the opposite direction and he remembered clearly where that arrow lead.

"Why are you giving it to me?" He tilted his head. "I'm not good with these things! I never used a cell phone either!"

"You don't need to use it. Take it and run back to the palace as fast as you can. That's something you can do, right?"

"Yeah, I can. It would be amazing to warm up my legs after that nightmare."

"Just go back to Shifu, give him the radar, and avoid going too close to this arrow here," He explained, showing him what not to do.

"Uhm…okay seems easy enough. I don't need to hold back this time, not following any stupid slow wagon!" He screamed, excited.

The cheetah crouched down to all fours and sprinted away causing a gust of wind for the ones behind.

"Hey Ming, why did you-"

"No need to worry Leo. I was just thinking that it's a tool for someone who's never dealt with corruption and I'm here with you two. I can easily handle this without it." Then he summoned the God's Eye, making his right eye disappear once again. "I have this too. Trust me, we're fine."

"Did his eye just…" Emily blinked, extremely surprised.

"That's a thing he does, it's fine," Leo informed as Ming absorbed the artifact again. "See? I know, it's weird."

"My life will never be the same after seeing this."

* * *

The three lions walked through their village in utter silence, reaching the laboratory.

"So? Where did you put him?" Lanfen asked, excited.

"Calm down. If he's already corrupted we must handle it with care. I'm not one hundred percent sure the cage can contain a beast," Shirong cautioned, stopping them at the entrance.

"There is a possibility that someone infected can instantly corrupt another being. Are we really sure about this?" Jun reminded.

"Jun, our entire research developed for this exact moment. If my theory is correct we can exploit the curse just like that monster does," Lanfen argued back. "Now, show me the test subject."

"Alright my leader," the lion mocked as he opened a barrel. "Look at this. Better than we predicted."

Shirong pulled out of the barrel a small iron cage containing Mantis inside.

"I see. When the curse takes over you turn black and your eyes go red", the lioness said, analyzing the silent bug.

"Hey there friend! Do you talk or…will you just stare at us?" Shirong asked, staring Mantis dead in the eyes.

"...Even if I say something will it make any difference?" He answered.

"No, but we can confirm you're not crazy."

"I have no interest in your silly games, but right now I can only wait until you release me." He replied, empty of any emotion.

Lanfen grinned, "What makes you think we will?"

"My master knows everything. You can only fool the inferior minds, but you have no power to stop someone destined to rule over you."

"Quite the cocky demon, yet you're still stuck inside a place that you're refusing to break. It appears you know your limit."

"Shirong I did not approve the term demon for corrupted people," Lanfen sighed.

"You will now." He smiled back at her.

"There is a good chance that fighting on your own will result in your defeat, but if you all join forces I will lose."

"We'll see about that!" The lion, upset to be mocked by him, intended to break him free and fight on the spot.

"No, Shirong. You know the plan, seems like he intends to cooperate with us for a while, why shouldn't we take advantage of it?"

Shirong mumbled back some words of disagreement and handed her his cage.

"Jun, please prepare the prototype catapult we created some months ago."

The lioness stared at her, lost in her thoughts. She heard her request, but she was hesitating to follow the plan, there was no certainty that everything was going to work out just like they predicted.

"Y-Yes…" She stuttered, hurrying towards the back of the building.

"I have the right coordinates to throw me exactly in the middle of the village, in case you all didn't know them." The bug commented, making Shirong even more angry.

"Who do you think I am? Of course I tested and saved it. My mathematical abilities are perfect! You hear that?"

Mantis became silent again seeing that their preparations were flawless; however, his indifference towards the lion offended him more.

"You'll see. Later I will destroy you! For now you're lucky we need to see how powerful the awakening can be!"

"Shut up Shirong, you're saying too much."

The lioness reached her comrades, pushing a big machine—the catapult mentioned by Lanfen. Mantis, seeing the machinery, broke his cage and jumped inside.

"Our friend is excited to leave, huh? Shirong please add the details and start it. Shifu and the others may be on the way towards Bamboo Forest, we should hurry."

"I wanted to fight him. So unfair," he said, muttering something else as well while the bug flew instantly towards the village thanks to the power generated by the catapult. "He didn't even consider me. I feel insulted."

Lanfen rolled her eyes, trying to ignore him. She and Jun sat in the machine as well, waiting for him to insert different coordinates inside, "Place us at the entrance of the village instead, and Shirong, don't you dare stay."

"Alright, alright. I promise I will follow your plan, but if it doesn't work I'll follow mine," he replied, activating the machine again.

* * *

The group was pumped and ready to leave the palace and head towards Bamboo Forest, but a problem appeared in their way causing a divide in their ideas. Everyone gathered together in a circle to state what they preferred to do.

"Rebecca refuses to leave the palace," Fulvio said, "I understand how she feels and why, but we can't leave her behind."

"So what? Are you going to force her?" Simon snarked back.

"No! I didn't say that!"

"Closing the portal will delete the curse instantly, right?" Monkey repeated, "I don't wanna sound like Simon, but it doesn't matter if she gets corrupted if we succeed in our mission."

"Explain to me that part. I don't wanna sound like Simon." The crocodile stared at him, cracking his knuckles menacingly.

"I feel bad leaving her behind. Someone should stay with Rebecca just in case," Po commented. "Do we really need everyone to go?"

"What about Mei Mei?" Tigress asked, "I was thinking that if she stays behind, it's for the best."

"I can help if you guys need something. I'd like to not be considered a burden," the ribbon dancer replied.

"That's not the point. This is different and you getting hurt for something you know nothing about? I would hate it," the feline explained, tilting her head.

"I can stay behind," Viper added, swirling her tail. "I would never forgive myself if something happens to them. You guys go ahead and I will keep her safe."

"No Viper, allow me to take on this job." Shifu interjected. "It's best for me to stay behind."

"Master, we need you with us. Are you sure about this?" Tigress questioned.

"I've already told you everything I know. I'd like to keep the human safe; that is what Master Oogway entrusted me to do," he stated, walking back towards the palace. "Viper if you wish to do the same I won't reject some extra assistance."

"Master, if you need me I will gladly assist."

"I suppose I will step aside…" Mei Mei said turning around, "But don't hesitate to call for help, okay? I'll crush everyone who tries to hurt my friends!"

"Shall we go then?" Tigress asked, looking at the remaining warriors. Po didn't return her glance.

The feline noticed him staring down the Thousand Steps and when she approached, something weird caught her attention. A big shadow leaped back and forth on every rooftop at an incredible speed until it landed at the bottom of the stairs, still in the middle of his huge dash the unknown thing climbed to the top in a few seconds, so fast that once he arrived he flew up in the sky past everyone else. The cheetah crashed towards the palace's wall upon not being able to brake, dropping the radar into Po's paws before impact.

"You need to keep working on your control. You'll hurt yourself and the others around you if you don't," Viper advised.

"Thank you for the advice, really." Face still stuck into the wall, he slid down. "Did you save the radar?"

"You mean this weird thingy you dropped?" Po asked, examining the circle shaped object.

"More importantly, why are you alone? Where are the others? What happened?" Tigress interrogated.

"They're fine! They stayed behind to go after something...uh… I don't remember, damn. Basically these arrows point towards the thing we should stop," the cheetah explained.

"Are you referring to the curse?" Po questioned, "But shouldn't it only be one?"

"I don't know." Mark shrugged, "I told him that I wasn't really good at remembering stuff."

"Should we check the closest one first? Maybe we have two portals to close?" Fulvio proposed.

"No!" Mark shouted, "...Maybe? He said to avoid that one, I think…"

"This arrow is pretty close to where we are," Simon said. "If we leave to go after the one in the forest, the other will eventually reach the palace. Check it out."

"Don't worry. Shifu and I will stay behind to see wherever the arrow leads," Viper compromised. "You all should move and go after the biggest corruption."

The cheetah blinked, trying to find something...or someone. "So, uh…where's my girl?"

Everyone stared at him in confusion until Monkey replied, holding back a chuckle, "You mean Rebecca?"

"Yeah! Where is she?"

Shifu took a deep breath, keeping his opinion to himself. "She's resting inside her hut right now. Mei Mei offered her assistance."

"Who?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Hey Mark, why did you call her my girl?" Po asked.

This caused Monkey to cover his mouth, tears in his eyes.

"Uh, well, it's because she's my…best friend! And I look up to her!" He mumbled, trying not to blush.

"That's so sweet!" Viper smiled.

"We are losing time", Tigress exclaimed. "We should go now…"

"Hey Tigress I was thinking…"

"No, Po. You're not going to call me 'my girl'"

"Why not? Aren't we best friends? I thought it was something nice…"

"Please, don't. You used to call me Ti sometimes, can't we use that one instead? I really like that."

"You do? I thought it annoyed you…"

"Who told you that? It was a special nickname only you used with me and…" She trailed off, realizing how silly this discussion was turning out to be. "Just, just call me Ti. Now let's go."

While the group started descending the Thousand Steps, Fulvio approached Po and whispered into his ear, "That was great. You earned some points there."

Po's face warmed up instantly showing his red cheeks. "Points? What are you saying? It's not what you think okay?"

The panda giggled, "Okay, alright. It's not, but keep going."

"That doesn't sound like you believe me!"

When they reached the bottom the atmosphere changed. The air was much worse. It started to burn their throats and their sights became limited by an impenetrable fog. They didn't understand if it was a side effect of the corruption getting to them or if it was just the result of the darkness breaking through their world.

"I'm already sick of this…" Fulvio coughed heavily. "I hate it."

"The air is already this polluted?" Simon mused, "How strong will this curse be at its core?"

"Can we actually withstand it?" Monkey asked, "We didn't step too far from the village and it's already this strong."

"This is not the time to hesitate," Tigress said, "We need to do it, no matter what. If they gave us this useful item that means we can."

"She's right! I ain't giving up! Our friends are waiting for us and we will re-"

The group, in the middle of its motivational speech, went silent. They all felt an awful vibe close to them.

"Are you guys hearing what I'm hearing?" Po whispered, receiving a nod from everyone else. "Is that it? Is that the aura of a corrupted being?"

They couldn't confirm it but their radar proved it to them a few seconds later making an annoying little sound.

"The arrow moved again…" Tigress' eyes widened as she looked towards the place they had just left. "It's pointing to the place we just left."

"I have a feeling that whoever the source of such power is has ignored us and hurried to reach the palace," Simon explained. "I wonder if we're being manipulated and outsmarted here."

"Are you implying that we're doing what the enemy wants?!" Fulvio freaked out.

Tigress moved the radar to Po's paws. "No, Ti, you can't go back!" He held her paw and dragged his friends towards him.

"Shifu and the others are in danger!" She remarked, "I'm not staying here."

"Don't you get it? They entrusted us with this mission. They believe in us and, as painful as it sounds, going back wouldn't be a good choice."

"Who told you that we're all going back?" She set her paw free, "Only I will go. You, Monkey and the humans will close the portal and erase the corruption."

"No, wait… Tigress!"

"Po, let her go, that's her choice," Monkey remarked. "We have to go. What are you going to do?"

"Wha- you don't need to ask me! Of course I'll go with you. We must stop the corruption from spreading everywhere in the world, right?"

Po said that but his body and heart said something else. He was looking towards the palace, even if he couldn't see a thing because of the fog.

"Are you sure about this?" Monkey asked again. "You should do what you think is best… We can do this even if you decide to leave! Are you underestimating us?"

"Not really, I wanna stay but I can't stop worrying for her…" Po sighed, giving his back to the palace.

"Oh, look what we have here." A female voice giggled, "Are you taking a walk? It's not the best moment to do that…"

The irritating voice of a lioness reached them from the fog. None of them needed to ask who the voice filled with fake kindness and care belonged to.

"Lanfen…? Why are you here?" The panda asked, struggling to identify the correct direction in which the voice came from.

"Me? I'm working. There is something happening today that only I can study and it will take more than a silly curse to stop me," she remarked, appearing in everyone's sight.

They wished she was alone but her guards were right behind her.

"I see." The lioness noticed the small radar inside the panda's paw, "He preferred to give it you, not a bad choice. I didn't predict it to be this hard to orientate. I should thank him. This radar in your hands will prove extremely useful."

"Are you going to the palace?" Po asked with a tone that was more of a threat.

"What would you do with that information?" She smiled, challenging him.

"I played your stupid games. I tried to be reasonable, but if you dare to touch my friends I will never forgive you…"

"Interesting… I can sense it." She tapped her lips. "Yes, I can feel it. You're almost ready! Not only you... I can sense another strong flow of power that is ready to hatch."

She walked up to his face and whispered into his ear. "I'm not the one who will hurt your friends. I'm the one who will make them stronger."

She lowered her voice again and explained her plan to the panda. His eyes widened in terror. "No…" He stumbled backwards, falling on the stairs. "You're insane… How dare you toy with our lives? You're a monster…"

"What are you going to do, Dragon Warrior?" She asked him, ignoring his comments. "This is the truth. Are you going to step aside? Will you interfere?"

"Step aside Lanfen." Monkey walked in between.

"Po, hey, what happened? What did she say?" Fulvio asked.

"Don't take everything for granted, you shouldn't trust her." The crocodile tilted his head.

"I-I-I need to go." The panda stood up, "NO! DON'T COME AFTER ME!" Po yelled at Fulvio and pushed him away, "You need to move with the others, take the radar and go. They won't stop you."

"Po, wait! What are you-"

"I'm sorry but I can't stand this anymore…"

Po disappeared into the fog, rushing up to the top once again.

The panda tried to follow him as soon as his friend walked away but an unexpected obstacle appeared in the way.

"Didn't you hear him?" Shirong jumped between him and the rest of the staircase, "You can't follow him."

"And why would you care now so suddenly?! I'm going through and there's nothing you can do about it!"

Fulvio casually walked past him but the lion easily kicked him back. "Nah-ah, you have to try harder than that."

"This scene looks familiar," Monkey mused. "Jokes aside this is really weird…"

"There's something we're missing here," Simon wondered, annoyed. "If only that idiot would actually remember what others say to him!"

"This is not your destination." Shirong limited himself to only block, dodge and deny everything Fulvio did. "If you go up there you'll be defeated and what we've done until now would be ruined."

"I don't care! If you have something to tell me then open your mouth and be clear! I'm not letting you hurt my friends! You hear me?!"

Simon's theory of some kind of powerful enemy being at the Jade Palace was almost confirmed. They will never admit it but the presence from before, the fact that they're not letting us go back, Shifu staying behind. There was logic behind it.

Another idea formed inside his head.

"That's why he kept apologizing, you bastard…" The crocodile grinned through his teeth and turned to Monkey. "Give me a hand. We need to go and if Fulvio doesn't like it, we'll have to forcefully drag him with us."

"I'm getting worried," the ape admitted. "This is not a mission for three people. We better go back to the palace instead. I don't trust these lions…"

"Then trust me this time. We have to go."

Monkey stared back and forth from him to the panda still trying to get to the other side. "I-I don't know Simon…"

"Please, listen to me."

"Alright, you win. They won't let us go through anyway and we can't waste our energy right now."

They surrounded Fulvio, who thought they were coming to help him, promptly freaking out when they lifted him up. "Huh?! What are you doing?! Put me down!"

"At least your friends have a brain here…" The lion shook his head, disappointed at what he had to tolerate.

"Are we seriously listening to them? Come on! Simon! I can't believe that you, above anybody else, would've-"

"Shut up. You don't know anything. I'd rather stab myself in the eye than follow those idiots' rule," he countered, dragging his feet. "They planned this all along. Now it's too late to oppose. The sooner we close that damn portal the better it will be."

"I hope they're alright up there…" Monkey sighed with worry, clasping his hands.

"Can you two put me down now?!"

"I don't trust you; you'll run off." The simian replied.

The panda wasn't really a lightweight and after carrying him for some minutes they started to feel tired. The radar also went crazy with countless sounds and alarms.

"What's wrong with that thing?" Monkey asked.

"I-I don't know!" The panda blabbered, "I can't understand while almost upside down you know!"

"Is that the restaurant of that duck?" Simon asked, looking at the entrance of Ping's noodle shop.

"He's a goose, jeez," Fulvio muttered.

"Doesn't matter. Let's go inside and take a quick break. We need to talk." Simon moved inside, dropping his friend behind.

"You could've warned me…" Monkey complained.

"Yeah, I agree," Fulvio added, face down on the ground.


End file.
